Minnehaha Academy started its season with a bang, winning five games on Aug. 27 at the Humboldt Tournament. The Redhawks won their next two matches and start this week with an impressive 7-0 record.
Minnehaha Academy (7-0, 0-0) opens its conference season on Tuesday at winless Providence Academy (0-3), and then faces defending IMAC and Class 2A, Section 4 champion Mounds Park Academy (2-1, 1-0) on Thursday.
Maddy Benka led the Redhawks in kills, service aces and digs as a sophomore and returns along with senior setter Violet Sahlstrom. Senior frontliners Abby Theisen and Camryn Thurow and defensive specialist Alicia Sylvester will be asked for increased contributions to a team that finished 14-13 and lost in the Class 2A, Section 4 quarterfinals last season.
Mounds Park Academy won 27 games and reached the Class 2A third-place game before falling to Hawley last fall. While the Panthers lost some key players to graduation, Mounds Park Academy returns three of its top four kills leaders in seniors Lola Pilon, Zoe Mulvihil and junior Else Kunze-Hoeg.