A week before the 2021 volleyball season started, Lakeville South hitter Emily Moes underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. It was the first domino in a series of disappointments as the Cougars struggled through an 11-19 season that ended with four consecutive losses, the last in the Class 4A, Section 1 quarterfinals.
Moes is healthy this season, and the Cougars' fortunes are improving along with the senior. Moes, along with classmates Kayli Starkey and Callie Carlson, junior Paige Wagner and sophomore Josie Tingelhoff, has the Cougars on the rise as the section playoffs approach.
Moes did return in the late stages of her spring sports season, and the talented lacrosse player helped the Cougars to a state championship. If her misfortune was a harbinger for her volleyball team last fall, could her spring fortune also be a good omen for the 2022 Cougars?
South (14-5, 5-1) was not ranked to start the season but has climbed to sixth in the latest Class 4A Minnesota Coaches Association poll. The path forward gets tougher from here, with No. 2-4A Lakeville North, No. 3-4A Northfield and a tough Rochester Mayo squad waiting in Section 1.
Minneapolis Southwest, meanwhile, is steeling itself for a wide-open Class 4A, Section 6 tournament. The Lakers (12-6-1, 6-0) have won only four of their past eight games but have the best record among all section teams. Burnsville (10-10) and St. Louis Park (8-10) are among the contenders.