On Thursday, September 12, the Cougars played their first in-conference match, losing to Prior Lake 0-3. It was a close match, with scores of 22-25, 27-29, and 18-25. Both the Lakers and the Cougars led a fast-paced, intense match with an aggressive offense and incredible defense, however the Lakers came out victorious.

Prior Lake had an phenominal night of hitting, their main source of points for the match. Key hitters of the night were Laura Schultz, a sophomore, and Lauren Miller, one of the five seniors that are on the team. They were led by setter Izzy Gates, a junior at Prior Lake.

A stand out for the Lakers is their libero, Brittany Luethmers, junior. Luethmers holds a school record of single-season digs that totals up to 445. She continued to show her amazing skills not only in defense, but overall ball handling. Her serve recieve passing was nearly perfect and helped the Lakers achieve the win.

Although the Cougars did lose in a 0-3 sweep, it was not without a fight. With a close score of 22-25 in Game 1, Lakeville South brought the intensity and mindset to win Game 2. Nearing the end of the second game, it seemed the fans for both sides could not get any louder as the final points were scored by the Lakers.

The Cougar's next game will be a home game facing Apple Valley on Tuesday, September 17. Prior Lake's next game will be away opposing Bloomington Kennedy also that Tuesday night.