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The Chisago Lakes volleyball team has gotten off to a strong start to the 2026 season, piling up five wins in its first seven matches, including a runner-up finish at the Rush City Tiger Volleyball Classic.

Chisago Lakes 3, South St. Paul 0

The Wildcats opened the year Aug. 27 with a convincing sweep of South St. Paul, winning 25-13, 25-16 and 25-11.

“We kicked off the season with a strong three-set sweep over South St. Paul,” head coach Rachel Houle said.

Piper Chenal helped lead the Chisago Lakes attack with six kills on just nine swings. Olivia Anderson anchored the defense with 17 digs, while Nora Wiger dished out 10 assists. Kianna Osmundson and Audrey Weinzetl each added three aces.

Tiger Classic at Rush City

The Wildcats carried that momentum into the Tiger Volleyball Classic the next day, going 3-1 and finishing second in the tournament.

“We had a lot of exciting highlights and great moments throughout the tournament,” Houle said. “There were also plenty of opportunities for us to continue growing as a team.”

Chisago Lakes had to rally in its opener against Hill-Murray after dropping the first set 25-22. The Wildcats responded with a 25-17 win in the second before pulling out a 15-13 victory in the deciding third set.

They followed that with a 25-18, 25-22 sweep of Proctor and then earned another close sweep against Litchfield, winning both sets by identical 25-23 scores.

Host Rush City was the only team able to slow down the Wildcats at the tournament. The Tigers won the opening set 25-10, but Chisago Lakes bounced back with a 25-22 victory in the second. Rush City eventually prevailed 16-14 in a tight third set, leaving the Wildcats with the runner-up finish.

Chisago Lakes 3, Mahtomedi 1

The Wildcats returned home Aug. 31 and picked up a hugh section victory, beating Mahtomedi 3-1. The Zephyrs have been the section champion four years running and have eliminated Chisago in most of those runs.

“Mahtomedi was a tough team, and it was a competitive match,” Houle said. “We won the first two sets, dropped the third and then came from behind in the fourth to seal the victory.”

Chisago Lakes won the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-23 before Mahtomedi answered with a 25-16 win in the third. The Zephyrs threatened to force a fifth set, but the Wildcats rallied for a 26-24 victory in the fourth.

Wiger was a big part of the late comeback, finishing the fourth set with an impressive service run and totaling five aces on the night. Mikenna Fritzke led the offense with 10 kills, while Anderson continued her strong defensive start by piling up 30 digs in four sets.

Hill-Murray 3, Chisago Lakes 1

The Wildcats' four-match winning streak came to an end when they traveled to Hill-Murray Sept. 2 for a rematch from the Rush City tournament.

Chisago Lakes started well and took the opening set 25-23, but the Pioneers turned things around from there. Hill-Murray won the next three sets 25-17, 25-22 and 25-16 to earn the 3-1 victory and avenge its earlier tournament loss.

Despite the setback, Chisago Lakes came out of its opening stretch with a 5-2 record and plenty to build on as the season moves forward.

“We’re proud of the way this team has started the season and excited to keep building, competing and improving,” Houle said.

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