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Platteville volleyball going to State after all!
Sectional champion Madison Edgewood voluntarily withdraws from state tourney
Cooley
Senior Maddie Cooley (4) finds a hole in the Madison Edgewood defense — there weren’t many — during Platteville’s 3–0 loss to the top-ranked Crusaders in Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 Sectional Final. Edgewood swept the SWC champion Hillmen 25–13, 25–9, 25–12 in 58 minutes.

NOTE: News of this story did not break in time to make this week's (Nov. 4) physical copy of The Platteville Journal.

In a turn of events that can only be described as "so 2020," the Platteville volleyball team is going to state after all. 

Just three days ago the Hillmen suffered a decisive 25–13, 25–9, 25–12 "season-ending" loss to #2-ranked powerhouse Madison Edgewood (14–1) in a WIAA Division 2 Sectional final at Lake Mills High School.

But hold the phone, three days after processing what was supposed to be its final match of a stellar season, Platteville will play again this year. At 12:10 p.m. on Tuesday the WIAA issued a stunning statement announcing the revival of Platteville's 2020 volleyball season.

The statement read, "The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association executive office has been notified that Edgewood has voluntarily withdrawn from the State Girls Volleyball Tournament scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7. According to Board of Control approved COVID-19 pandemic accommodations, Platteville – the most recently defeated opponent – will replace Edgewood on the Division 2 bracket, without reseeding, and will play in the 4 p.m. semifinal match versus Lakeside Lutheran at Kaukauna High School."

In any event, first-year Platteville head coach Denise Berntgen and her Southwest Wisconsin Conference champion Hillmen (13–2) will be back on the court Saturday afternoon playing for a state championship.

As most remember, the undefeated, top-ranked Platteville girls' basketball team (26–0) was denied a chance to play for the D2 state title due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WIAA cancelled the remainder of the girls basketball state tournament the same evening as Platteville defeated Arcadia 48–45 in a WIAA D2 state semifinal at the Resch Center in Green Bay Thursday, March 12. The Hillmen were scheduled to face #2 Wrightstown (25–2) in the D2 girls basketball state championship game on March 14.