The Wildcats entered the match as the one-seed in the tournament and they came in with high expectations to make what’s become their annual appearance at the Xcel Energy Center, but coach Kathy Gillen knows this is not a routine.

“There are no automatics, at this level, in sections, and my girls know that there’s no automatics,” she said. “I would like to say it’s an expectation for us to (get to state) but that’s just not true; any team can win at any time.”

Bill Belichick of the Patriots implores players to do their jobs and success will come. Alabama coach Nick Saban doesn’t care about results, but wants his players to follow the process that he has set forward for them, no matter the score of the game. Gillen and her girls have set a precedent for success year-after-year, and it’s executed from players leading by example.

“I don’t think there’s a magic, secret potion for (the continued success). They have a set standard, and they practice at that standard and play at that standard and I think that helps us rejuvenate,” Gillen said.

The Wildcats made Saturday’s win look easy at times, but it didn’t start out that way. They won the first set 25-21 after a competitive affair that saw the second-seeded Raptors with the early lead. Once they got settled in, however, the Wildcats took the momentum of the first set victory into the next, starting the second set with a 6-0 run. Once the Raptors got into that hole, East Ridge coach Steve Anderson knew it would be tough to come away with a victory.

“We started out down 6-0 in that second set, looking back on it that might have been a rotational mismatch a little bit,” he said. “You kind of get down to them, and their side-out percentage is so high that it’s tough to get back.”

Anderson knew coming into the matchup that his squad would have their hands full with arguably the best team in the state. He said Eagan’s transition play, turning defense into quick offense, is “relentless” and just one of the factors that make this team so tough to beat. Despite the loss, he was proud of how competitive his team played, against Eagan and throughout the season.

“These girls have battled all year long. We played a really tough schedule and went up against a really good team here in the section final; we wish them a lot of luck.”

The Wildcats got great contributions throughout the lineup. Ellie Husemann tallied up points with 10 kills, while Kelley Johnson constantly set up her teammates, racking up a team-high 17 assists. The conductor of the well-oiled machine was Kennedi Orr, who did a little bit of everything on the court. She had a game-high 14 kills and added 16 assists and four blocks.

“She still stops me sometimes and I say, ‘wow, how did she do that?’,” Gillen said about Orr.

Gillen mentioned that Orr is playing outside of her comfort zone, as she’s a setter by nature, but can interchange and become a hitter, as her 14 kills proved. What has impressed Gillen the most about Orr is her leadership on the court and how she sets an example for her teammates.

“She’s a leader on the team, she stays composed. She’ll make mistakes but they don’t change her attitude or change what’s going to happen next, she just comes out strong the next play,” she said.

Now the Wildcats return to the state tourney with the hopes of winning their fourth title in six years. Gillen restated that there’s no “magic potion” to go far in the tournament, it takes hard work.

“We hit the gym, we work hard, we try to get ready, mentally ready and physically ready, for a tough grind of three really tough games ahead,” she said.