It was their hardest clinch in a while. Mabel-Canton volleyball (#9 in Class A, 10-0, 20-3) was taken to the limit by rival Spring Grove (9-1, 19-4) in the most key SEC match of the year. It was the teams’ fourth meeting. M-C won twice at their Labor Day Tourney (25-7, 25-14 and 25-18, 25-12). SG was without key asset Mariah Edgington. The first regular season meeting in the Grove was a close Cougar sweep (25-21, 25-23, 25-23). The rematch went the distance. SG, with a win, could’ve (likely) forced a share of the SEC-East, and posted their first win over M-C volleyball in decades. Down a starter (Payton Danielson), M-C persevered to a 3-2 win (23-25, 25-20, 25-13, 20-25, 15-13), their first five-set match this season. Savannah Slafter led the way (season-high 21 kills, 3 ½ blocks, 12 digs). Dakota Delaney (15 kills) and Maddy Michels (10 kills) were big help offensively. Avery Davis added seven kills. Kenidi McCabe (19 digs) and Lexi Thorson (19 digs) keyed the Cougar defensive effort. McCabe posted a season/career-high 54 assists. It’s the most by a Cougar the past nine years (plus). Kayla Rasmussen was the last Cougar to hit for 50 assists (2010). The Lions were led by Lauryn Bohr (16 kills), Edgington (13 kills), Kailee Olerud (29 assists), and Amelia Solum (21 digs). M-C (11-0, 21-3), with two league games left, has clinched a share of the SEC-East over SG (10-2, 20-5). It’s M-C’s 20th straight outright or shared division/conference title. They’ll likely win the league out-right, needing to beat either Lanesboro (5-21) or L/P (7-9).
Cougars Post Consecutive SEC Title #20
