Phantoms Strike Gold: West De Pere Tops Ashwaubenon in Statement Match

The West De Pere Varsity Volleyball team made a statement Thursday night, delivering a dominant performance in a straight-set sweep over Ashwaubenon (25-6, 25-9, 25-14).

With powerful momentum, sharp teamwork, and visible passion on the court, the Phantoms left little doubt that they’re hitting their stride at just the right time. Head Coach DeKeyser emphasized team unity as the core of their game plan. “Our game plan was to just play like a family,” she said. “Be there for each other, support one another, play our game, the game we know how to play, and I think we executed it super well.”

As the match progressed, West De Pere’s adaptability was unquestionable. “Defense was a big thing this game,” DeKeyser noted. “We kept up with our blocking coverage and really focused on reading their shots and adjusting accordingly.”

When asked about Ashwaubenon’s strengths, Coach DeKeyser praised their serving game. “They had some really good serves, but our serve receive made the right adjustments and executed really well.”

Among the standout performers of the Phantoms was junior outside hitter and Boston College commit Lauren Tisler, who played a commanding role in the team’s victory. She credited the team’s trust and cohesion as key elements of their success. “I think just trusting each other that we’d each get our job done was huge,” Tisler said. “Even when we hit a rut in the third set, we knew we could work through it together.”

Looking ahead, Tisler identified blocking as a personal area for growth. “Definitely blocking, getting my hands in the right spot so I’m not getting tooled as much,” she said. “But overall, we blocked really well tonight as a team.” As for adjustments on offense, Tisler explained her approach for the future. She said, “Just mixing up my shots, finding more open spots on the court. And when the opportunity was there, swinging harder. Even though I missed a few, it still felt like a great team game.”

With this impressive sweep, the Phantoms continue to build momentum heading into a key home matchup against De Pere on Tuesday, October 7. Ashwaubenon is gearing up for a comeback next Tuesday as they hit the road to take on Green Bay Southwest in an important showdown.