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After a remarkable run to a 6-1 record in the North Suburban Conference, the Chisago Lakes volleyball team played their biggest match of the year on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and came up just a hair short against the NSC-leading Spring Lake Park Panthers.

The loss, however, was preceded by two big conference wins, including one over defending NSC champion Totino Grace and one over the always-tough St. Francis Saints.

Chisago Lakes 3, St. Francis 0

The Saints provided a tough test for the Wildcats before they got into the meat of their schedule against Totino Grace and Spring Lake Park.

Although the 'Cats were able to sweep St. Francis, it wasn't an easy match for the green-and-gold clad charges.

In the first set, the girls took a huge lead, but then allowed St. Francis to chip away at the lead. The small comeback, however, reenergized the Wildcats and propelled them to a 25-16 win in the first set.

In the second set, the Saints came out with a little more confidence than in the first, but it still wasn't enough. Although they pushed Chisago Lakes to the limit, the resilient 'Cats fought them off for a 26-24 win.

In the third set, St. Francis was unable to extend the match beyond three matches as CL topped them 25-22. "I was a little worried about this match," Head Coach Katie Larson explained. "St. Francis is a tough team and they always fight back. But, our girls persevered and we got 'em in three."

Chisago Lakes 3, Totino Grace 0

The Wildcats grounded the high flying Eagles in their match-up on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Totino Grace had no trouble disposing of the Wildcats late last year, winning 3-1, so it was payback time for the girls.

"We just dominated Totino Grace," Larson said. "We played a great game against them."

The game started and ended in much the same fashion, with the Eagles struggling to keep up with the high-powered Wildcats. All three matches ended in 25-19 wins for Chisago Lakes.

Much to the chagrin of Eagle fans, but much to the delight of Larson and her team, Rachel Nelson had an outstanding game for the Wildcats.

"Rachel has been huge for us," Larson said. "She is our rock, and she puts the ball down with force. She is our terminator."

Spring Lake Park 3, Chisago Lakes 2

In high school athletics, one off night can be a disaster for a squad aiming for it's ultimate goal, whether it be a state championship, section championship or conference championship.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Wildcats didn't have their best game, and it cost them a good shot at the North Suburban Conference title.

Coming into the showdown with Spring Lake Park, the Wildcats sported a 6-1 NSC mark, while Spring Lake Park flaunted a perfect 6-0 record in conference play.

Even without their best bumps, sets, serves and spikes, the Wildcats nearly pulled out a win on their home court in a thrilling five-set match.

The Panthers opened on fire, scoring early and often in the first set en route to a 25-17 win.

The 'Cats answered, however, with a big set of their own in the second stanza. After they took a fairly large lead late in the set, it almost vanished before they could close it out 27-25 to even the game up at one set apiece.

With the third set tied at two, the Panther server found a hole in the Wildcats service return and capitalized on it. Before the Wildcats and their raucous fans knew it, they were down 12-2 off the serves of one girl.

The lead was just too much to overcome in the set, and the 'Cats went down two sets to one after losing the third set 25-14.

But, on their home court, in front of their home fans, the Wildcats wouldn't back down from the Panthers and their unblemished record.

Strong serves and pinpoint passes led to a 25-22 victory for the Wildcats to even the match up at two sets and force a final fifth set.

In the fifth, the teams only play up to 15, and after some more accurate serving on Spring Lake Park's part, the Wildcats found themselves on the wrong end of the score, losing 15-7 in the final set.

Not all was lost, however, in the loss. Larson pointed to Sam Nelson and Lisa Rosenthal having big games against the Panthers. "Those girls really stepped it up, and they were really effective against Spring Lake Park," Larson said. "If those two and Rachel [Nelson] and Courtney [Fautsch] are on, our team will be very dangerous."

Larson also pointed to the Wildcats passing as being a key from here on out. "It all starts with the passing game," she said.

Besides the big games from Nelson and Rosenthal, Larson also hopes that the Spring Lake Park heartbreaker can be a learning experience for the girls. "We play a roller coaster game sometimes," Larson pointed out. "We'll win one big, and then lose one. We just have to work on staying intense and never letting up. We just have to overcome it and learn from it."

The girls close their home regular season schedule tonight, Oct. 2 against conference rival North Branch. The night also marks Senior Night for five seniors, Lisa Rosenthal, Jordan Burnett, Mackenzie Maher, Sam Nelson and Alex Hoyt.

After the celebration, the girls end the regular season with three straight road contests, Fridley, Forest Lake and a tournament in Sartell.

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