LAKEVILLE, Minn. -- Second-ranked Lakeville North battled to win the first two sets but had to fight off a gritty ninth-ranked Minnetonka to win its second consecutive five-set match, 26-24, 25-20, 23-25, 19-26, 15-8.
The first set was a sign of things to come as the Panthers and Skippers fought through 15 tied scores and exchanged the lead six times before Elizabeth Juhnke buried her sixth kill of the set.
North and Minnetonka traded the first six points of the second set before scoring three consecutive points, on a Kennedy Brady kill sandwiched between two blocks by her and Arianna Barrett, to take a 6-3 lead.
Despite leading by five points, 13-8, the Panthers couldn't shake their guests as the Skippers tied the score at 14-14. North finally broke a 16-16 tie and scored nine of the final 13 points of the set to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Minnetonka was far from ready to give up as the Skippers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the third set and would not allow the hosts to catch up.
The fourth set played out much like the opening set as the teams traded the lead three times and were tied nine times before Minnetonka finish with an 8-2 run to send the match to a fifth set.
The Panthers put the match away by rolling to an 8-0 lead in the final stanza behind the serve of Amanda Burger.
After back-to-back kills by Brady got North to match point, the Skippers would score a final point before Juhnke's 18th kill of the night wrapped up the Panthers' fourth consecutive win.
Juhnke and Macy Winter both recorded 18 kills on the night and recorded double-doubles with 16 and 10 digs, respectively.
Macy Winter tied her career high with 18 kills, and added 10 digs. (Photo by Lisa Abrahamson)
Amerlia Wherland set a career high, for the second consecutive match, with 29 assists. (Photo by Lisa Abrahamson)
North tallied 11 blocks on the night with Brady tallying seven block assists while Tori Thompson had three solo blocks to lead the way.
Halle Wolfe led the Panthers in the back row with 29 digs, the second highest total of her varsity career.
The setting due of Amelia Wherland and Amanda Burger had 29 and 19 assists, respectively.
North has five matches on tap over the weekend as it takes part in Marshall's Molten Southwest Minnesota Challenge, opening play with a 5 p.m. match versus Russell-Tyler-Ruthton at Southwest Minnesota State.
