Simple mindset has Middleton boys volleyball on a dominant roll to state title match

The Cardinals (31-3) feature a balanced attack and it showed in a 25-23, 25-19, 25-18 sweep of Kimberly in the state semifinal Friday at the Resch Center. It runs a straight-sets streak to 22 for Middleton (its last seven matches plus a clincher in a four-set win over Waukesha West).

“I think something we’ve tried to work on doing, and I know I keep trying to say it after every set, is it’s 0-0 again, and we got to battle and we’ve got to keep working hard and we’ve got to start off fresh,” senior middle Hudson Sweitzer said.

He said it so matter-of-fact that it clearly is ingrained in the Cardinals’ minds. They hit .179 in the first set before ramping up to .391 in the second set and .409 in the clincher.

While Ambrose Engling‘s kills were the high mark, his move to the right side after the team finished fifth at its own tournament, which included 2-1 losses to the Papermakers (34-7) and a Milwaukee Marquette team that also made the Final Four, opened opportunities for others. It was sophomore outside Caden Van Buren with 10 kills at a .409 clip helping the attack Friday night.

“I feel like putting Ambrose on the right side really just opens up the court a lot more,” Kimberly junior outside Owen Krause said. “People aren’t as experienced blocking-wise because he dominated the line side against our outside hitter. They kind of just opened up everything else because they drew everybody to the middle and the outside over so it opened up the court for their middles and outside, and then eventually the back-row attacks as well.”

Krause was hitting .349 with a team-high 236 kills entering the tournament. He was held to a .231 clip and matched Engling’s 11 kills. But the Middleton defense otherwise was strong as it held the Papermakers to hitting .067 in the match.

First-year Cardina ls coach Dylan Griffith, who made it to state with Middleton as a player, said they only scouted Kimberly’s tendencies after splitting two regular-season matches with them. The real key has been moving Engling, a Princeton men’s volleyball commit, which allowed the Cardinals to go on this winning streak in which they’ve only lost one set.

“Obviously they’re gonna scout for Ambrose, big time, he’s a great player,” Van Buren said. “So when we’re pushed and our setter Brody (Stuttgen) is pushed to his side, they’re gonna think it’s going to him. (Brody) can throw it up, back out, and then it’s a solo block for us, for me, Teddy (Young) and so that that really helps us.”

Griffith was the junior varsity coach when Sweitzer was a freshman. Griffith was a varsity assistant last season before taking over this year. The Edgewood College grad keeps the sideline fun and energetic to create a family atmosphere.

“He’s really just connected with all the guys really well. He’s just able to talk to us and, yes, have fun with us, but then also say, ‘Hey, Hudson, you need to do this and do this better,’” Sweitzer said.

It’s easy to spot Engling at 6-foot-7 and setter Stuttgen, a senior who’s verbally committed to NJIT men’s volleyball. Stuttgen runs the 5-1 offense and had 29 assists and seven digs Friday. A familiar face will be on the other side of the net when the Cardinals go for their first state championship.

Senior outside Charlie Andorfer had 14 kills at a .300 clip and nine digs in Hartland Arrowhead’s sweep of Marquette on the adjacent court Friday. He’s looking forward to his first match against Middleton.

“It’s just gonna be a crazy game. Ambrose is one of the best players in the state,” Andorfer said. “And there’s some really key guys that surround him like Caden is a great passer and can attack the ball (and) block the ball very well. They’ve got two great middles and Brody can run a really good 5-1. So they’re just going to be a really tough team. It’s kind of cool that we haven’t played them at all this season. I think it’d be really fun. It will set up for a great match.”

The dominance of the Cardinals is something they’ll get over. Van Buren mentioned they scrimmaged the Warhawks before the season, but there’s nothing they can take from that. They’ll scout them on film early Saturday morning, but the ingrained mindset doesn’t change.

“We’ve got to come out 0-0 again, keep being dogs, and keep doing what we do and not worry too much about them,” Sweitzer said.