Was Apple Valley going to do it again?
One day after upsetting second-seeded East Ridge in the Class 4A quarterfinals in St. Paul, the Eagles took the first set against third-seeded Prior Lake in convincing fashion.
Apple Valley fell to Prior Lake earlier in the month, but that was when star middle blocker Ginny Gores was out with a concussion. This was a different ballgame.
“They definitely pushed us in ways that we hadn’t been pushed in a little while,” Lakers coach Mike Dean said.
But Prior Lake responded. The Lakers won the next three sets to claim a four-set semifinal victory and advance to play top-seeded Lakeville South in Saturday night’s final — the program’s first since 2015. The Lakers have never won state.
“I think we just stayed together and we really found ourselves and found our team,” Lakers sophomore middle blocker Brielle Gunderson said. “We came together, we really put it all out there and we showed them Prior Lake is going to come back and they’re not going to see the same team they saw the set before.”
The Lakers’ serve and block stiffened. Offense that came so easily for Apple Valley quickly dissipated.
“I’m just really proud of the way the girls responded,” Dean said. “I know in that first set we came out a little flat and gave them something to feel good about. The way we battled back and stayed composed spoke to the maturity and the resilience this team has.”
Dylan Raveling paced Prior Lake (23-10) with 17 kills, while Addison Barbow tallied 16.
Gorres and Sophia Cowan again spearheaded the Eagles’ offense. Cowan recorded a gaudy 24 kills.
“Every match that we have, I feel like — whether it’s offensively or defensively — she does something that I don’t think I’ve seen her do, or maybe I haven’t seen a high school athlete do,” Apple Valley coach Hannah Specktor said of her star hitter. “I just think having a power outside like her is something every state tournament team needs if they want to keep pushing forward to the end.”
Each year, the Eagles (19-10) make strides toward that goal. They again figure to be a major fixture next year with Gorres, Cowan and plenty more firepower back. With each tournament trip, Specktor noted, the Eagles learn and evolve.
This year’s lesson for seventh-seeded Apple Valley?
“I think we’re going to remember this tournament as something we used to prove to ourselves that we could do it,” Cowan said. “We are really hard workers and we can do hard things. It’s not easy to make it to the championship. We knew that coming in. But after the game (Wednesday against East Ridge), it proved that we’re relentless and we’re going to work our hardest to give everybody our best game. Just never give up.”
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