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Chisago Lakes 3, Camden 0

The Wildcats hosted the Camden Eagles on August 27 and served them a three-set sweep, with straight-set wins across all four levels of the program. Scores on the night were 25-9, 25-12, and 25-13.

Noteable stats for the night included Senior Kate Friedner with her first double-double of the season, earning 16 kills and 11 digs in just three sets. She also tallied up five aces. Senior Kayla Larsen racked up four aces, nine kills, and five digs. Junior Linnea Carlson added six kills, Junior Eliana Taylor added four blocks, and Senior Morgan Mayer added 22 assists.

A highlight for the night included Senior Isabel Benolken working into the libero jersey for sets two and three, earning 11 receptions and 5 digs in her first night in the green.

Chisago Lakes 3, Johnson 0

The Wildcats hosted the St. Paul Johnson Governors on 9/4 in an early season Section 4AAA matchup and dished out a three-set sweep, with straight-set wins across all 4 levels of the program. Scores on the night were 25-5, 25-11, and 25-14.

Noteable stats for the night included Sophomore Kianna Osmundson with six aces, including a 12-serve run in set one. She also dished out 16 assists and earned six digs in the three-set win. Senior Kate Friedner tallied eight kills and 12 digs, senior Kayla Larsen earned six kills and six digs, and junior Nora Wiger earned seven kills.

The biggest highlight of the night included senior Mariah Cave debuting for the season after spending the last three-weeks nursing an injury. The senior impressed in her opening night with four aces and five kills. "We've been really impressed with our team's flexibility as we've started the season with an alternate lineup," Coach Hannah Lindstrom said. "They've shown tenacity and cohesion. But we're very thankful to be back at full strength with Cave back on the roster. She will be a strong contributor to our success." Senior Isabel Benolken also returned to the libero jersey in sets two and three, earning nine receptions and two digs.

Mahtomedi 3, Chisago Lakes 0

The Wildcats took an early-season fall to Section 4AAA opponent, Mahtomedi, on August 25. The Cats had a slow start in set one, rallying some momentum as the match continued, but not enough to avoid a straight-set sweep.

"We were definitely anticipating this being a more competitive match," Coach Lindstrom said. "We're disappointed, but thankful for the roadmap it created for us- we now know what to work on to come back successful against the Zephyrs when we inevitably see them in the postseason." The Cats are still competing in an alternate lineup while senior Mariah Cave is out with an injury.

Notable stats included senior Kate Friedner with nine kills, 15 receptions, and eight digs. Senior Kayla Larsen earned seven kills, 19 receptions, and three digs. Sophomore Olivia Anderson racked up 20 receptions and nine digs in the libero jersey, and senior Morgan Mayer earned 14 assists.

Chisago Lakes 3, Hill-Murray 0

The Wildcat volleyball team faced Section 4AAA opponent, Hill-Murray, at home on September 8. The Cats won in straight sets, 25-18, 25-22, and 26-24.

The Cats came out strong and fast, taking and protecting an early lead in set one. Sets two and three included some more back and forth, as the Pioneers adjusted their defense and the Wildcats serving percentage decreased. The Cats remained ahead in both matches, though, thanks to strong blocking and a quick and scrappy defense. "I'm proud of the way we controlled the tempo and how we adjusted our offense throughout the match," Coach Lindstrom said. "This was an important win for our postseason goals."

Highlights on the night include senior Mariah Cave with four aces, five blocks, and seven kills; senior Kayla Larsen with eight kills and 11 digs; senior Kate Friedner with seven kills and 10 digs; and sophomore Olivia Anderson with 24 receptions and 14 digs.

Becker 3, Chisago Lakes 0

The Wildcat volleyball team opened the season out west against the Becker Bulldogs on September 9. While each set was a battle, the Cats took the loss 0-3 (21-25, 28-30, 19-25).

After a fast start and early lead for the Cats, the Bulldogs improved their serve and pass to come from behind. The ‘Cats rallied back by speeding up the offense and tweaking defensive systems, but ultimately lost the battle. "While we had many exciting moments throughout the match, our excessive errors lost us the game. I'm proud of how we battled, and we expect to battle every single night in our tough conference. We're excited to keep playing hard."

Highlights include senior Mariah Cave with 15 kills; sophomore Olivia Anderson with 23 receptions and 18 digs; senior Kate Friedner with nine kills, 22 receptions, and eight digs; senior Kayla Larsen with eight kills, 22 receptions, and eight digs; and sophomore Kianna Osmundson with 14 assists and 11 digs.

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