Photo by Paul Trende
They are rivals. The SEC-East volleyball race seemingly always comes down to Mabel-Canton and Spring Grove. But it is a one-sided affair as it pertains to the victor, and the first matchup of 2026 was the same. Number nine in Class A Mabel-Canton (5-0, 10-1) swept the Lions (6-0, 7-3) in straight sets. In the first two games, M-C led 13-12 and 14-13, only to finish on 12-2 and 11-5 runs to win 25-14 and 25-18, Cougar senior OH Ella Halverson scoring with 14 kills. The Lions fought hard to get a set. In game three, they were at set point twice, 24-22 and 24-23, only for a service error and a M-C kill (Livia Garness) to even the match 24-24. SG was again at set point at 25-24 following a Brinley Middendorf kill, but a Lion hitting error tied it 25-25. Braylee Stortz then put down a kill and SG errored on a shot. M-C prevailed 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 27-25). Halverson led the way with 18 kills on .371 hitting plus three total blocks. Stortz added 14 kills on .452 hitting plus 15 digs and three total blocks. Eighth grader Garness also had a season-high 10 kills (11 digs, 21-21 serving, 2 aces). She had a two-ace, five-point service run in game two to help swing that set. Gwen Rein had 33 assists and 11 digs. Lauren Burke (12 digs) and Kaylee Kleppe (10 digs) helped on defense. The Lions were led by setter Claire Sherburne (5 kills, 25 assists, 15 digs). Izabel Kaufmann (13 digs), Jada Strinmoen (11 digs), Kallyn Morken (10 kills, 5 digs), Middendorf (8 kills), Addison Rask (3 kills, 6 digs), and Lauren Hammel (5 kills) helped. SG hit .092 (34 kills, 21 hitting errors), M-C .327 (46 kills, 13 hitting errors). There was a lot of young talent on display as Rein, Stortz, and Sherburne are freshmen, Garness and Morken just 8th graders. M-C (6-0, 11-1), the East leader, then took down Lyle/Pacelli (6-1, 10-3), the SEC-West leader, also in straight sets (25-12, 25-19, 25-11). Stortz (9 digs, 11-11 serving, 4 aces) amazingly put down 18 kills on 21 attacks with zero errors (.857 hitting)! Rein (30 assists, 8-8 serving, 3 aces), Garness (8 digs, 25-26 serving, 4 aces), Halverson (8 kills, 3 total blocks), Burke (8 digs), Hailee Eiken (4 kills) and Ava Austin (8-9 serving, 3 aces) helped. M-C as a team hit .544 (37 kills, 6 errors) and had 17 aces versus just two errors (97%). When the week was done, M-C (7-0, 13-5) led the East over the Lions (7-1, 10-7). SG also played Kingsland in SEC action and both teams partook in the Class A Showcase (See “SEC” and “Non-Conference Volleyball” for more).
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