Volleyball Game Preview: Waupaca Comets vs. Grafton Black Hawks

The Waupaca Comets will challenge the Grafton Black Hawks at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Waupaca is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 13 games.

Waupaca is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Rice Lake 3-2.

Waupaca found their leader in sophomore Sage Soto, who had 16 digs and three aces.

Meanwhile, Grafton got the win against Pius XI Catholic on Saturday by a conclusive 3-0. The Black Hawks have beaten the Popes the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Popes has come to flipping the script.

Waupaca better focus on containing Paige Arentz and Abigail Barthelemy as the pair were huge in Grafton's win. Arentz had seven digs and three aces, while Barthelemy had five digs and five assists. What's more, Arentz racked up 18 assists, the most she's had over her last eight matches.

Grafton was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 12 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least five aces in 11 consecutive matchups.

Waupaca's record now sits at 27-10. As for Grafton, their record is now 28-10.

Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Waupaca has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 7.3 aces per game. However, it's not like Grafton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.1 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other volleyball content.