LAKEVILLE, Minn. -- With a 25-11, 25-12, 25-13 win at Bloomington Jefferson to conclude the regular season, second-ranked Lakeville North heads into Section 1AAA play with a 26-2 record and a share of the South Suburban Conference.
Here are some take aways from Wednesday's win and the 2017 regular season.
1. The Panthers were forced to change their lineup for the first time this season with an injury to junior outside hitter Macy Winter, the result of which was extensive playing time for freshmen Izzy Fuerst and Abbey Milner.
Fuerst responded to her first career start by recording five digs, three aces, an ace and a kill.
Milner had a kill and a dig while working in the middle with Kennedy Brady and Tori Thompson.
Izzy Fuest was credited with a kill, three aces and five digs in her first career start.
The play of North's back row has been key in the team's nine-game winning streak.
2. Junior Elizabeth Juhnke has ratcheted up her hitting game. With 17 kills versus Jefferson, she's been in double digits in 12 of her last 13 matches.
In her last 13 matches, she is averaging 4.71 kills per set and is hitting .345.
3. The Panthers serve and serve receive games have helped them with their current nine-match winning streak.
North is averaging 2.56 aces per set and is serving .955 after recording 29 aces and a .979 serve percentage in its two matches this week.
On the receiving end, North has a .947 reception percentage in their last nine matches. The Panthers committed just one receiving error versus Jefferson and have gone without an error twice.
4. North's two middles, senior Kennedy Brady and junior Tori Thompson have been forces during the team.
Thompson has 45 kills in the nine matches and a .309 hitting percentage. She has add 16 total blocks, including five solos, during that time.
Brady has 61 kills with just 10 errors during that time and is hitting .477. She's also recorded 24 blocks during that time.
5. Halle Wolfe has anchored the team's back row defense but has raised her game to another level down the stretch.
In her 10 matches, she has just three receiving errors and a receiving percentage of .979. She's also averaging 3.15 digs per set and, while called upon to set second tempo and out-of-system balls, she has 31 assists in her last nine matches with a .456 setting percentage.
6. With the lineup changes versus Jefferson, setter Amelia Wherland saw limited action at outside hitter before setting the final two sets after Amanda Burger had 10 of her 20 set attempts in the first.
Wherland has set over .500 in four of her last six matches and, during the team's nine-match winning streak, has 119 assists and a .467 setting percentage.
Burger has topped the .500 mark in five of her last nine matches, and has 134 assists and a .474 setting percentage.
The final take: Sunday is when the Section 1AAA seedings are announced with first-round matches slated for Wednesday, Oct 25, with the top four seeds earning byes.
Quarterfinal matches will take place Friday, Oct. 27 and the higher seeds will host all matches in the first two rounds.
Semifinals, slated for Nov. 1 at 6 and 8 p.m., and the championship match, scheduled for Nov. 4 at 3 p.m., will all take place at the Rochester Civic Center.
Section Records
Albert Lea 1-15
Austin 4-21
Faribault 18-7
Farmington 9-18
Lakeville North 26-2
Lakeville South 24-4
Northfield 26-2
Owatonna 11-16
Rochester Century 17-6
Rochester John Marshall 12-10
Rochester Mayo 12-11
Winona 5-17
Kennedy Brady's leadership and presence in the middle has played a key role in North's 26-win season.
