Florence’s Kelsi Chrisman goes up for an assist as teammate Ashlyn VanDenHeuvel eyes a spike at Saturday’s WIAA Division 5 sectional final against Central Wisconsin Christian at Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, Wis. (Amanda Baker photo)

Florence’s four-set win Saturday over Waupun Central Wisconsin Christian sends the LadyCats to the WIAA state volleyball tournament for the first time in school history and validates a season-long effort to play against larger schools across the state.

“I truly believe that is what got us here,” said coach Teresa Chrisman, adding the Division 5 team set its sights on the Resch Center tourney early on.

The sectional title win over CWC at Northland Pines High School in Eagle River was by scores of 25-23, 30-28, 21-25, 25-17.

“Just such a special moment,” Chrisman said. “So many alumni pulling for Florence, and former coaches Trudy Rochon and Joan Canfield in attendance.”

While the LadyCats were routinely down by three or four points in the first set, they showed their resilience and pressed on for a narrow win. The second set was back and forth most of the match.

“The libero — Lauren Ruis — for CWC was all over the place and just played a fantastic defensive match,” Chrisman said. “CWC continued to show their scrappiness but Florence had just a little more.”

CWC was able to take the third set. Florence, however, appeared to have momentum going into the fourth.

“These girls had a goal in mind and there was no getting in their way,” Chrisman said. “Everyone played their hearts out and we took the lead in the fourth and did not look back. Kelsi Chrisman served two aces to end the match and it sent the gym into a frenzy.”

Ashlyn VanDenHeuvel led the way at the net with four timely blocks and added seven kills. Miley VanDenHeuvel played a fine defensive game, leading with a monster 28 digs and notching nine kills. Kelsi Chrisman, a sophomore, totaled 18 kills, 26 digs and 15 assists.

“She had two play-saving pancakes and just reads the court and places the ball where it needs to go,” coach Chrisman said. “It is not an easy dynamic — the mother-coach role. But I think Kelsi has proven to everyone what she is capable of and she just is a presence on the court you can’t deny.”

Sami Demuri contributed 15 assists and had three aces in 22 serve attempts for the LadyCats.

Florence will face top-seeded Wausau Newman Catholic at 9 a.m. Thursday at Green Bay’s Resch Center. St. Amrose will face Rib Lake in the other semifinal.

The championship is at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“There is a long history of Newman taking us out in many sectional finals, a little poetic that we are now meeting them at state,” coach Chrisman said.

Florence stats:

Sami Demuri, 3 aces, 2 blocks, 15 assists, 7 kills, 13 digs

Kelsi Chrisman, 2 aces, 18 kills, 15 assists, 26 digs

Ashley Peterson, 1 ace, 10 digs

Ashlyn VanDenHeuvel, 2 aces, 4 blocks, 7 kills, 17 digs

Miley VanDenHeuvel, 9 kills, 1 block, 28 digs

Naomi Millan, 4 assists, 15 digs

Emily Wolske, 2 blocks, 1 kill, 2 digs