SHS Students, Recent Graduate, Shine in National Volleyball Tournament

Two Shorewood High School students made some noise at a national volleyball tournament last week, and a recent graduate garnered all-tournament accolades and helped his team grab a national championship title. 

Shorewood graduate Adam Kessenich, 18; senior Andrew Muelle, 17; and junior Karl Apfelbach, 16; participated in the USA Volleyball 2012 Boys Junior National Championships in Dallas, which ran from July 1 through 8.

Kessenich was named to the all-tournament team, as a member of the West Allis Lightning B18 team under Coach Jacob Cosson in the 18-Open Division. Kessenich also helped the Lightning garner a national championship title in a three-game match Wednesday against the Southern California Volleyball Club Quicksilver team. The team finished the tournament with a 10-1 record. The West Allis team won the Junior National Championship title in 2010, when members were 16-years-old.

Mueller played leftside hitter with the West Allis Lightning B17 team under Coach Brad Weitzer. The team earned a respectable 5-5 record in the tournament, placing 13th in the 17-Club Division out of 48 teams.

Apfelbach played rightside hitter with the North Shore Milwaukee Volleyball Club 16-Jim team under Coach Jim Plaisted in the 16-Open Division. NSMVC was seeded ninth entering the tournament, and finished strong in fifth by upsetting No. 2 seed Borinquen Coqui out of San Juan, Puerto Rico Friday in a three-game match. Apfelbach will be heading to Des Moines, Iowa to participate in the 2012 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships, July 24 through 28, as a member of the Boys Youth Continental team.