Senior Lily Webb plays through injury, propels Wolves to victory

The Elmwood/Plum City Wolves won their first WIAA Division 4 Regional ham – pionship in co-op history by surviving a fiveset thriller against Alma enter Lincoln on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Elmwood.

The match between Elmwood/Plum ity and Alma enter will go down as an in – stant classic in the lore of Wolves athletics. The five-set grudge match had everything a sports fan could want. It had a raucous crowd – both from the top-seeded Wolves and the second-seeded Hornets. It had blown leads, inexplicable rallies, players overcoming in – jury, and it ended with a Wolves comeback in the fifth set as the student section stormed the court in celebration of the first Regional hampionship in EP history.

After splitting the first four sets, Elmwood/ Plum ity and Alma enter Lincoln went to a fifth and final set for the D4 Regional hampionship. The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the set. Elmwood/Plum ity defensive miscues put the Wolves in a signif – icant deficit, 6-2, which forced a timeout by EP head coach Amanda Webb.

The Hornets continued to roll, even after the timeout, and took a 9-4 lead in that piv – otal race to 15 for the regional title. That’s when coach Webb burned her second and fi – nal timeout of the set. The Wolves came out of the timeout and scored five unanswered points to tie the game 9-9 which forced a timeout by Alma enter Lincoln head coach Heather Theiler.

The Wolves took their first lead of the set 11-10 and then finished the match on a 4-1 scoring run to secure a 15-11 victory in the fifth and final set. As soon as the match ended, some players jumped in celebration, others dropped to their knees in tears and the student section rushed to the court to begin its biggest celebration in years.

The celebration was objectively well-de –

served. The thrilling D4 Regional hampion – ship victory is the first in EP history. oach Webb spoke about how long it’s been since these respective communities have won a volleyball regional title.

“This is the first for EP , both conference and regional. I think Elmwood’s last was 1985 and Plum ity’s was 2012,” Webb said after the celebration subsided. “I was worried in the fifth set when we got down, but the girls rallied back, they pushed hard and they didn’t give up. We talked about it all sea – son, the girls overcame it and worked hard.” While the match ended in happy tears for the Elmwood/Plum City roster and its fans, there were tears of frustration of pain throughout the third and fourth sets. After the Wolves won the first set 25-18 and lost the second set 23-25, the two teams geared up for a crucial third set.

Early in the third set, Elmwood/Plum City senior setter Lily Webb dove into her team’s bench trying to make a heroic play to keep a ball in bounds. As she collided with the chairs, she injured her knee and began walk – ing with a noticeable limp.

Webb battled through the pain – and even some tears – knowing that she was injured during the play. She played the rest of the third set and helped her team secure a 25-18 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series for the regional title. Lily Webb spoke about knowing she had to play through the pain because her team needed her.

“There was talk about coming out (be – tween her and the coaches and trainer) and I was like, ‘No. I’ve got to push through this. I’m doing this for my team and I’m doing this for my community,” Lily Webb said. “I just had to give it my all because we wanted to win and we did.” Lily Webb’s ability to push through was nothing short of exceptional. She is Elm – wood/Plum City’s most important player, as she leads the team in total assists, plays a vital blocking role on the front line, and is one of the team’s biggest leaders. Coach Amanda Webb spoke about Lily Webb play ing through injury.

“She played with a lot of grit and deter – mination,” Amanda Webb said. “I told her maybe she shouldn’t block (and be jumping on that knee) and she said, ‘I’ve got to block!’ She wasn’t going to give up no matter what. She didn’t even want the trainer to look at it.” The Wolves claimed the third set and even had a 19-16 lead late in the fourth set with a chance to seal the win. However, a late rally by Alma Center Lincoln sent it to that fifth and final set. Lily Webb, playing on basi – cally one leg, and the Wolves’ roster battled through to win the D4 Regional Champion – ship.

“This is a special group of girls with a lot of seniors,” Amanda Webb said after the game. “I started with this group in middle school and having my two kids play is just icing on the cake to be able to share this with them. I love every minute of it.” Lily Webb shared in her mom’s sentiment about how special this EPC roster is, espe – cially as they’re accomplishing things that haven’t been done in decades in some of those communities.

“We set goals at the beginning of the sea – son and our first goal was to be conference champions and the second was to be regional champions,” Lily Webb said. “We wanted to leave a legacy on our school and that’s what we’ve been doing this season.” Elmwood/Plum City will have a chance to build onto that legacy on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the Division 4 Sectional Semifinal against Wonewoc-Center at the neutral site of Black River Falls. That game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Lily Webb put EPC fans at ease by stating that her knee is going to be fine for sectionals.

“The knee is going to be good and it’s go –

ing to be fine,” Lily Webb said. “We’re su – per excited to be able to make it this far and we’re going to give it our all.”

The Elmwood/Plum City girls’ volleyball team screams in celebration as the crowd erupts in applause moments after the Wolves won the fifth and final set of the Division 4 Regional Championship game at home against Alma Center Lincoln on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Elmwood. Photo by Reagan Hoverman