Waconia won the Wright County Conference championship in 2016 and 2017 but lost the crown last year to New Prague.
New Prague (11-5, 0-0) remains the team to beat in the conference and Waconia (6-6, 1-0) likely will need a victory over the Trojans Tuesday to have a chance to reclaim the league hardware.
Two players, Kali Wolf and Ellie Dammann, remain from the Wildcats' 2016 team. Two more, Jayda Lenz and Claire Segner, played on the 2017 championship team.
Waconia coach Katie Keogh said her team will certainly be motivated to perform well against New Prague. And the Wildcats' four veterans will factor heavily in the outcome.
Wolf, who has passed 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career blocks, has 128 of each this season. Dammann has 61 kills and 30 blocks; Segner, the libero and on-court director, has 157 digs; and the setter Lenz has 166 assists and 103 digs.
The Wildcats will have to play to their best to win at New Prague. Keogh said the team's 6-6 record is an indication of its lack of consistent play this season.
The Trojans, meanwhile, have a veteran team that has played together for a long time. Seniors Sophia Andersen (200) and Dani Friedges (101) lead the team in kills. Libero McKenna Vacek has 147 digs and 15 service aces and Tori Moe has 173 assists. Seniors Kate Seymour and Amanda Giesen and junior Chessa Devine are multi-year starters that have formed the team's core for most of the past three years.
New Prague went 2-2 at last weekend's Apple Valley Eagle Invitational, losing 2-0 to No. 1-3A Eagan and in three sets to No. 7-3A Shakopee.