Barn Burner vs. Long-Time Neighboring Rival, Jaguars Volleyball Defeats New London-Spicer 25-22, 25-14, 19-25, 25-21

With a packed crowd and fans flowing into the elementary school hallway, the Jaguars volleyball team kept their long-running win streak against New London-Spicer alive with an intensely-played 3-1 win in non-conference action. As recently as two seasons ago, this match would have counted for playoff seedings. Tonight, it was simply for pride and off-season bragging rights.

Numerous Wildcat fans were heard throughout the match wondering why the match wasn't held at our bigger high school gymnasium. Adults and students were tightly packed into the stands. I had no answer for them.

It was extremely frustrating for me to sit in the stands and see numerous Jaguars tennis players stand in the hallway, peering up to the crowd, looking for somewhere to sit and cheer on their fellow Jaguars. In fact, the steam may roll from my ears for the rest of the week over the spectacle that took place during tonight's match.

It's Homecoming week. I can only imagine the high level of enthusiasm from our student body one would see had tonight's match been at the high school.

The Jaguars are ranked #6 in the latest Class A coaches poll. Their record is 13-1 overall, and 2-0 in the CMC. The 12-0 start for the Jaguars is the best start to any volleyball season since 1994, when they won all 22 regular season matches and a West Central South Championship.

The last time NL-S beat the Jaguars was in October 2001, during the Sub-Section 6AA-17 semi-finals. It was a five-game marathon in which the Wildcats pulled out game five by a 15-13 score. They were then swept by state-ranked Sauk Centre in the sub-section championship.

That loss to the Wildcats in 2001 was the last time the Jaguars failed to reach a sub-section championship match.

Recent wins that I remember over the Wildcats include the 2002 & 2004 sub-section semi-finals, as well as numerous wins in the Willmar tournament. NL-S had all the motivation in the world to beat the Jaguars, and the Blue & Silver stood tall to a very stiff test from the now 8-2 Wildcats.

Also noteable...on October 28, 2005, numerous players on the NL-S team faced the Jaguars in the Sub-Section 6AA-17 quarterfinals. The Jaguars soundly beat the Wildcats 3-0 on their way to their first-ever state tournament berth. The juniors of the Wildcats' team today, making up the core of their squad, were regulars as eighth graders on that team in 2005.

Other area volleyball scores:
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 3, Ortonville 0
Renville County West 3, Dawson-Boyd 1
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 3, Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 1
Kimball Area 3, Swanville 0

In other Jaguars sports notes: On Tuesday, the Jaguars girls tennis team travels to Osakis to face the Prairie Conference-leading Silverstreaks. The match begins at 4:30. I'll be timing it right to cover that while returning to the high school in time for the 7:00 Homecoming coronation.

On Thursday, the Jaguars cross country teams travel to Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball for a 4:15 meet. The volleyball team hosts Maple Lake in a CMC clash.

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