By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
These guys have been here before.
And they act like it.
At no time in Tuesday’s sectional semifinal victory over visiting Kenosha Indian Trail did the Burlington boys volleyball team show any signs of panic.
There was a serene atmosphere of patience and focus surrounding the boys, even when Indian Trail took a nine-point lead in game three.
Maybe it was because Burlington had won the first two games with ease. According to Burlington coach Tim Gesteland, his players are built for these high-pressure situations.
“When we were down big, the guys never got too worked up,” he said. “You can’t get emotional in this game. We have eight seniors, and that’s part of the calm.”
Despite falling behind 15-6 in game three, the Demons calmly went about their business and rallied for a 25-21 win.
Burlington advances to the sectional final, which it will host against second-seeded Westosha Central Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Burlington High School.
This is Burlington’s seventh straight sectional final and its ninth in the last 10 seasons.
In contrast to the Demons, the Falcons, who dominated Racine Case in three games Tuesday, can get emotional at times, whether it be a high off a big run or a low off poor play.
But the emotion is working. The Falcons haven’t lost since a loss to Burlington about a month ago. Their hot streak included a first-place finish at the Southeast Conference meet.
“It will be a great high school volleyball match,” Gesteland said. “We have a little more volleyball talent, but they play with a lot of passion.”
In both 2010 and 2011, the Falcons knocked off the Demons to advance to state.
There is no love lost between these mostly friendly rivals. Burlington gets its chance at a little playoff payback Thursday night.
The Demons beat the Falcons without Nolan Rueter earlier in the season, and it only took three games.
Rueter finally returned to full action Tuesday night, which included a full range of jumps, and recorded 19 kills in the Demons’ victory over Indian Trails.
Gesteland said the guys are still adjusting to playing again with Rueter, an all-state pick in 2012 who missed the last month with an ankle injury.
Cleared to resume jumping this week, the 6-foot-5 hitting powerhouse bolsters an already solid squad. But the guys aren’t fully where they want to be yet.
“It’s very nice to have Nolan back,” Gesteland said. “He’s a great volleyball mind. The team’s a little more comfortable, but it will take a week or so to get back to full strength. It was good to get out the kinks tonight.”
Josh Ketterhagen added nine kills Tuesday night, along with eight digs.
Jake Derosier led the Demons with 33 assists and added 10 digs. Bennett Conrardy led the team with 11 digs.
“I’m confident we can beat Westosha,” Gesteland said. “They’ve gotten better since we beat them. We have to step up our game. Westosha has some weaknesses that we’ll try to exploit.”
On Tuesday, serving often saved the Demons. In game three, Skyler Krause served the final eight points. Also, when Burlington was down 15-6 in game three, Bryan Batchelor served 10 straight points to tie things up at 16-16.
Gesteland said Ben Geiger had some key kills and played good defense.
Gesteland also commended the play off the bench from Eli Miller.
Follow @mikeramczyk17 on Twitter Thursday night for live updates of the game.
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