With two SEC matches left, M-C volleyball holds a two-game lead in the East. They are guaranteed a share of the division. The Cougars got by their last best test at Spring Grove, a battle of 20-2 teams. Lonnie Morken’s crew snuck out game one (25-23), dropped game two (13-25), the rare convincing set win over M-C. The visitors then rallied to take games three (25-18) and four (25-16) convincingly. M-C swept the season league series with a 3-1 win. Lexi Thorson (career-high 13 kills, 13 digs), Payton Danielson (12 kills, 13 digs), and Maddy Michels (11 kills) led the offense. It was M-C’s first three-girl 10-plus-kill match of the year. The Cougars had a season-high 48 total kills. Sophomore setter Kenidi McCabe had a super-rare 30-30 (season-high 38 assists, career-high 30 digs). Hannah Snell (15 digs) and Lauren Wyffels (10 digs) gave M-C five girls with double-digit digs. The team had a season-high 93 digs. Mariah Edgington (15 kills, 23 digs, 9 blocks) and Kailee Olerud (23 assists, 20 digs) paced SG. After dropping three of four at M-C’s tourney, the Cougars have won six of the last seven sets versus SG. M-C then had no problem with Lanesboro (25-6, 25-17, 25-13), led by Danielson (5 kills, 10 digs, 13-13 serving, 4 aces), McCabe (22 assists, 16-16 serving, 4 aces), Jordyn Newgard (5 kills), Thorson (4 kills, 4 aces), Michels and Sarina Stortz (4 kills each). Lexie Johnson (5 kills), Payton Benson (15 digs), Peighton Prestemon (13 digs), and Ella Cambern (10 asissts) led the Burros. Fifth-ranked M-C (12-0, 22-2) leads SG (9-2, 21-3) in the SEC East.
#5 Cougars Out-Snarl Lions, Claw East Title
