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Sports

Lakeville North Knocks Eagan Out of Playoffs

No. 2 Eagan High volleyball team upset in Section 3AAA semi-finals, losing in straight sets to defending state champion Lakeville North

This wasn’t how second-ranked Eagan wanted, or expected, to bow out.

Defending state champion and fifth-ranked Lakeville North shocked the Eagan High Wildcats Wednesday in the Section 3AAA semi-finals at Lakeville South, winning in straight sets 25-22, 25-21 and 25-22.

The loss ends the season for the second-seeded Wildcats at 23-5. The team seemed just a step slow and just enough out-of-synch the entire match.

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“There was very little working for us tonight,” said Eagan head coach Kathy Gillen. “Our pass wasn’t good, our setting was marginal, our hitting was a little under marginal. Every part of our game was below average.”

Third-seeded Lakeville North (23-5) will play No. 1 Lakeville South (25-1) in the Section 3AAA final at Simley Saturday at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the state tournament.

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Top-seeded Lakeville South (25-1) defeated. No. 7 and fourth-seeded Bloomington Jefferson (21-7) 3-games-to-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22) in the other semi-final Thursday.

3-2 in the regular season and many expected another five-set marathon match between the two South Suburban Conference rivals. But it simply wasn’t Eagan’s night.

Lakeville North won the first game 25-22, but it was the second game which broke the Wildcats. The game was tied at 10-, 16- and 20-all before Eagan standout Taylr McNeil gave the Wildcats a 21-20 lead. But the Panthers scored the next five points to go up 2-0 in the match.

Eagan trailed most of the third set, including 13-18 before rallying. But after coming back to 21-22, then couldn’t get over the hump and the season was done.

“I said two things to them,” Gillen said she told the Wildcats after the game. “One was you hate to wish you could play it again and the other one was I didn’t expect that. And that was it.”

Playing in perhaps the most competitive conference and section in the state, Eagan lost only to No. 7 Bloomington Jefferson (twice), No. 4 Shakopee, No. 5 Lakeville North and No. 1 Lakeville South this season. Eagan loses six seniors off this year's team, while returning six players next season.

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