A highly-anticipated matchup between two state-ranked teams played out at the New London-Spicer high school tonight, as Class AA #10-ranked NL-S (9-0 coming in) was defeated in five games by Class A #10-ranked B-B-E (13-2 after tonight).
The Wildcats took games one and four, with the Jaguars all but laying down in game four where they lost by something like 25-11.
In the deciding game five, the Jaguars roared in front 5-1 before the Wildcats came back to an 11-10 deficit. A missed call by the line judge made it 14-13, then a thunderous block by Rachel Anderson ended the match! She would lead all players at the net with 6 ace blocks in the match.
NL-S hit hard and served hard, but the Jaguars' defense was at peak form when it had to be. They managed to outplay a veteran, experienced NL-S team that is early favorites to win Section 6AA.
It was, without a doubt, the greatest regular-season win for the Jaguars Volleyball team in many seasons.
**Two fun facts:
-The last time NL-S defeated B-B-E in volleyball was in October 2001, the Sub-Section 6AA-East semi-finals. Interestingly enough, that match also went five full games, with the Wildcats winning game five 15-13. That was also the last year that the Jaguars did not make a sub-section championship game appearance in the playoffs. NL-S went on to face Sauk Centre in the sub-section championship, where they were swept by a Mainstreeters team that went on to take fourth place at state.
-Last weekend at a volleyball tournament at the U of M-Morris, I asked Sauk Centre head coach Jim Klaphake point blank, "Do you think B-B-E can beat NL-S?" He said they could - and they did!
It's a quiet night in NL-S country tonight. Gotta love it!
Area volleyball results:
Kimball 3, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0 (The Cubs are 10-5 overall)
Upsala 3, Onamia 0 (Upsala is 10-1)
Osakis 3, Eden Valley-Watkins 0
Hancock 3, Dawson-Boyd 0
Hutchinson 3, Willmar 0
The Jaguars girls tennis match at home against Parkers Prairie was postponed until a further date.
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