The state-ranked volleyball rematch between No. 8 Spring Grove at No. 5 Mabel-Canton went much like their previous conference clash. The gymnasium was wall-to-wall and stage-packed with fans. The Lions again won the first set before the Cougars captured the final three sets and the match, 3-1 (SG 25-21, MC 25-23, 25-21, 25-14). The two middle sets were much more competitive … [Read more...]
Spring Grove grabs Goodhue Tourney title
The Spring Grove girls claimed their second tournament championship of the season, winning all five matches at Goodhue without dropping a set. The Lions were efficient at the net and served more aces than errors in all five matches. It began with a 2-0 (25-14, 25-18) win against Hayfield that featured 25 kills and only 4 hitting errors (a strong 35% efficiency). Addyson … [Read more...]
Lion girls collar Cardinals in regular-season finale
Eight Spring Grove girls had kills as they closed the regular season with a straight-set, home win over LeRoy-Ostrander, 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-17). The Lions had almost twice as many kills (39 to 20) and more than twice as many service aces (10 to 4) as did the Cardinals. Spring Grove improved to 26-4 (12-2 SEC), while L-O will enter the playoffs at 10-17 (8-6 SEC). On … [Read more...]
Lion girls earn 20th win at Hurricane Homecoming
Visiting Spring Grove claimed its 20th volleyball victory of the season with a 20th consecutive victory against Houston, 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-17) on Oct. 11. Completing the season sweep, the state-ranked No. 8 Lions improved to 20-3 (11-1 SEC) while the Homecoming setback left the Hurricanes at 7-10 (6-6 SEC). The three most active Spring Grove hitters all performed … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past From farmland to gold fields and back again
It was a life-changing journey for those of European descent who first settled southeast Minnesota in the 1850s, especially for those having recently immigrated across the Atlantic Ocean. But one of the most colorful journeys was that of eventual Spring Grove resident Anders Brynildsen Foss, who before crossing the Mississippi River in 1854 had not only crossed the Atlantic but … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Hired men, rat traps and cat naps among the cows
There were always men looking for work. Growing up in Houston County during the Great Depression of the late 1920s and 1930s, Anita (Hartman) Palmquist said there was more work on the Hartman farm than the family could handle. They often hired men, who were either bachelors, widowers or younger unmarried men. Regardless of their job skills, they were glad to work for food and … [Read more...]
Spring Grove girls in control at Kingsland
State-ranked No. 9 Spring Grove met little resistance while dismissing Kingsland 3-0 (25-11, 25-8, 25-7) in Spring Valley on Oct.6.The Knights trailed throughout except for scoring the first point of the second set before the Lions scored the next 13 points. The Grove girls attacked with 33 kills and only 8 hitting errors and served 95% with 14 kills and only 4 misfires. The … [Read more...]
Spring Grove gridders go to 6-0 with high-scoring Homecoming win
Tysen Grinde scored with a game-opening 81-yard kickoff return, a 44-yard punt return and a 51-yard pass reception as state-ranked No, 5 Spring Grove celebrated Homecoming with a 50-21 win against LeRoy-Ostrander on Saturday, Oct. 8. Elijah Solum threw for 3 touchdowns and ran 52 yards for the last Lion TD. Already the league leader in total offense completed14 of 19 passes … [Read more...]
Lion girls survive four-set struggle versus Lanesboro
Trailing Lanesboro 20-16 in the fourth set, state-ranked No. 9 Spring Grove avoided a fifth set by winning 9 of the final 11 points to win the match, 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22) and complete a season sweep of the Burros. It was exciting with three 25-22 set scores, but it was an inconsistent evening for both teams. It was a rare occasion in which the team with the most … [Read more...]
Spring Grove girls complete season sweep of Schaeffer
Spring Grove served with 95% accuracy while completing a season volleyball sweep of visiting Schaeffer Academy on Sept. 20 with set scores of 25-10, 25-12, 25-8. Seven different SG servers had aces. Each team had four service errors, but SG served 14 aces and SA zero. Just as in the previous meeting, the Spring Grove Lions scored with 34 kills and a good 25% hitting efficiency. … [Read more...]