Lakeville South coach Steve Willingham didn’t have to motivate his players for Saturday’s rematch against Marshall in the Eagle Invitational semifinals.

The Cougars suffered their first loss of the season earlier this month against the Tigers in a matchup of the No. 1 teams in Class 4A and 3A, respectively.

Lakeville South trailed by six points in the first set Saturday, then pulled off a comeback in the set and took control of the match.

“That was a big deal,” Willingham said. “They are a big-time team playing really well.”

That momentum carried over to the Cougars sweeping host Apple Valley for their first Eagle Invitational championship since 2018.

Previously undefeated Marshall, the No. 1 team in the Strib Varsity Minnesota Top 25 last week, finished third.

Seven teams in the Class 4A coaches top-10 rankings played in the Apple Valley tourney Friday and Saturday: Lakeville South, Lakeville North, Eagan, East Ridge, Champlin Park, Stillwater and Prior Lake.

“It’s a pretty prestigious tournament just to even be in the finals,” Willingham said. “Super excited about our performance. We had to battle really hard.”

Cougars make case for No. 1 again

Lakeville South didn’t drop a set in its first five matches this season, which included wins against ranked opponents Stewartville and Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

The Southwest Minnesota Challenge proved to be the first test for the Cougars, and they were swept by host Marshall and Lakeville North. They weren’t at full strength but learned from their first two losses.

Their response was nine straight wins — and dropping only three sets. They went 4-0 in the Eagle invite, including a second win this season vs. Eagan.

“It was a really good challenge to see how far we’ve come in a few weeks,” junior outside hitter Elle Utecht said.

The Cougars (14-2) made changes following the SW Minnesota Challenge to be more efficient defensively and with their service game. They finished with eight aces in the semifinals and held Marshall to its lowest hitting percentage of the season (.191).

“We came out super strong and had some positive energy,” senior outside hitter Romi Chlebecek said. “That’s what we lacked in the last [Marshall match] was energy. It felt good to take down an undefeated team.”

Marshall responds after first loss

Marshall coach Dan Westby had a reason to be concerned when Lakeville South scored five straight points during the first set Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers got within three points early in the set but didn’t score again in the 25-22 loss. That led to a less-competitive 25-16 loss in the second set.

Marshall (17-1) has two wins this year vs. Chanhassen, the No. 1 team in Class 4A in this week’s coaches poll. But it was tougher for the Tigers to beat Lakeville South twice.

“Lakeville South came in with a lot of resolve based on the result of the last time we played,” Westby said. “They ratcheted things up and ended up getting us.”

Wayzata and Marshall won three of the previous four Eagle Invitational championships, but they met for third place Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans upset Lakeville North on Friday, but the Tigers escaped the same fate, overcoming set point to open the match and going from there to a 25-23, 25-18 victory.

“We have a great group of girls who are really close,” Marshall senior outside hitter Reese Drake said. “We just find a way to compete.”

Apple Valley’s impressive run

Last season, Apple Valley reached the state tournament for the first time in 23 years, but that came as a surprise.

“We played like we had nothing to lose,” head coach Hannah Specktor said. “Now there’s a little more pressure because everyone expects us to be there again. But they’re rising to their potential.”

The unranked Eagles (12-3) made believers outside of the program by reaching the championship of their tournament for the first time since winning it in 2005. They fell to Lakeville South in the final, but they had impressive wins against East Ridge, Minnetonka and Wayzata.

“It means a lot,” junior outside hitter Sophia Cowan said. “It was like a statement that we’re here to play. A lot of people never thought we would win. We’re going to break that stigma and mindset.”