The Brookfield East boys volleyball tournament is always one of the state’s elite events.
The top teams, players and coaches are almost all in attendance.
So after second-ranked Middleton went 4-1 at that tournament last Saturday and left with a fifth place finfish, the Cardinals felt awfully good about where their season was headed.
“It's usually a good litmus test to see where we are early in the season,” Middleton coach Dylan Griffith said. “We had a really good showing.”
They sure did.
Middleton opened with a 25-19, 25-16 win over Brookfield Central, then downed Franklin, 25-18, 25-22, to finish pool play, 2-0.
The Cardinals then had a crossover game with third-ranked Marquette and the Hilltoppers prevailed in a thriller, 25-13, 25-27, 18-16. Middleton and Marquette have met twice now, and the Hilltoppers have edged the Cardinals in two spandex-tight matches.