Eagan senior captains Maddie McNeil and Callie Schapekahm punctuated their last regular-season match with a pair of impressive performances in front of a robust home crowd on Senior Night.

McNeil slammed 21 kills and had four blocks, while Schapekahm pounded out 14 kills to help the Wildcats win a five-set marathon match with Eden Prairie on Thursday at Eagan High School.

McNeil and Schapekahm guarded the net with reckless abandon, and they seemingly made the key block or kill at every crucial moment for the Wildcats, ranked No. 6 in the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association’s Class 3A poll.

“On the court, they’re rock-solid,” Eagan coach Kathy Gillen said. “They’ve got a team behind them, but they (McNeil and Schapekahm) have created that team behind them.”

The Wildcats have been on fire since their loss to top-ranked Prior Lake on Sept. 11, winning eight consecutive non-tournament matches while not surrendering a single set until Thursday’s game.

“I think the loss actually helped our team,” Schapekahm said. “It showed us that we’re not unbeatable, and we practiced even harder after that, and it has paid off.”

McNeil and Schapekahm are set to play volleyball at the collegiate level next season. McNeil is heading to the University of South Carolina, where she will join her sister (and former Wildcats’ star) Taylr - a freshman on the Gamecocks team.

Schapekahm is attending the University of Minnesota-Crookston, a NCAA Division II program.

Both players were members of last year’s state championship team and give the Wildcats plenty of veteran leadership and experience as Eagan prepares to defend its title. 

The Wildcats look like a team set for a long postseason run, with the physical talent, mental preparation and team unity - fostered by McNeil and Schapekahm - necessary to make it through the section and state tournaments.

“The team chemistry is exactly where it needs to be,” Gillen said. “I don’t create that. Those girls (McNeil and Schapekahm) create it.”

Maddie McNeil had 21 kills and four blocks to lead Eagan past Eden Prairie 25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-11 in the final regular-season match for both teams Thursday at Eagan High School.

Callie Schapekahm added 14 kills for the Wildcats (25-2), ranked No. 6 in the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association's Class 3A poll.

The loss snaps the Eagles’ seven-match winning streak. Eden Prairie (20-3), ranked No. 4, never dropped a set during the run, winning 21 consecutive games.

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