Hill-Murray at North St. Paul
7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8

Metro East Conference rivals and potential state tournament contenders do battle Wednesday night as No. 7-3A North St. Paul hosts Hill-Murray, last year’s state Class 2A runner-up. 

The Polars have sneaked up on observers the same way Hill-Murray did last fall, although they did receive a first-place vote in the latest polls for the first time. 

North St. Paul suffered its first defeat last weekend at the Lakeville North tournament, losing to No. 1-3A Prior Lake in two sets. But the Polars did recover to beat higher-ranked Lakeville South, which should help them avoid dropping in next week’s poll. 

North St. Paul is a senior-laden team seeking its first state tournament berth, something the Pioneers experienced for the first time last fall. Think this is a rivalry? Hill-Murray senior Natalie Cote described her favorite volleyball experience as matches against the Polars.