The field is beginning to take shape in the Mississippi 8 Conference and St. Michael-Albertville is again in the mix for a league title.
The Knights are accustomed to being at or near the top of the standings, and this year, they face a challenge to their position from a St. Francis team looking to continue making strides. The Fighting Saints could take the next step by beating a perennial contender, which is why Tuesday's showdown is our Top Game of the Week.
After pushing Champlin Park to five sets in the Class 3A, Section 5 final a year ago, and defeating conference-leading — and the No. 3 team in the Class 2A coaches' poll from Sept. 23 — North Branch 3-2 on Sept. 20, St. Michael-Albertville (10-5, 4-0) is no longer the cusp of surprising some teams. If the Knights want to continue battling for the Mississippi 8 crown, however, they'll need a statement win over St. Francis.
Syra Tanchin (194 kills) and Mikala Henderson (142 kills) get the bulk of the attempts for St. Michael-Albertville. Sophie Fritz leads with 233 assists, while Cynphony Henderson has 145 assists.
With St. Michael-Albertville and Big Lake both sitting at 4-0 in conference, St. Francis considers this match a must-win. The Fighting Saints (14-3, 3-2), who are on the rise and building off an 18-win season a year ago, have improved on their win total each of the last three years.
But losses a year ago to teams such as St. Michael-Albertville, North Branch and Grand Rapids show the Fighting Saints weren’t quite at the level of their best competition.
That could change if St. Francis outside hitter Emma Guest, all-conference last year, continues making an impact, while Madison Gully and Grace Menge, honorable mentions in conference voting, anchor the supporting cast.