South is on the rise

Defending Class 3A champion Lakeville North may have been getting all the press and accolades over the past year, but its neighbors have arrived in style -- and seniority.

The younger sisters are all grown up.

When Lakeville South first opened in 2005, its volleyball team posted a 4-27 record, with zero seniors. This fall, Lakeville South head coach Jen Nelson -- a Lakeville grad and former Minnesota State Mankato All-America -- has a squad that boasts eight seniors, including three college recruits.

A 4-0 start and Class 3A, No. 5 ranking from the coaches association have given the Cougars a more visible presence on the state's volleyball scene.

Adding to the excitement is a very offensive-oriented team that knows how to put the ball away. Senior co-captain Monica Turner, a Minnesota Duluth recruit, stands 6-3. This offseason, she added almost 10 inches to her vertical leap. The middle blocker is also one of the top weightlifters in the state.

"The other team seems to be afraid, I think, when Monica goes up to hit, even in practice," teammate and co-captain McKell Anderson said. "It's kind of like, make sure your face is covered when she's up there."

Turner and Anderson have been playing varsity since freshman year. Anderson, a Southwest Minnesota State recruit, is a smart, quick and gifted all-around outside hitter. The third captain and college recruit is Kaitlin VanWinkle, the team's energetic and explosive middle blocker.

"She's our spark plug," Turner said.

Senior Allie Mosser can do it all, but will predominantly play libero. Her uncle is Brady Starkey, the coach at current Division II volleyball dynasty Concordia (St. Paul). All of the seniors are a pleasant change of pace for Nelson.

"It's kind of a nice year where you can just kind of sit back and you're not re-training," Nelson said. "You're focusing on polishing things and trying to put together the best competition you can."

The only two non-seniors are the Tingelhoff sisters, whose grandfather, Mick Tingelhoff, was a six-time Pro Bowl center for the Vikings back in the 1960s and '70s. Junior Jazzmyn and freshman Jade, otherwise known as "Ting One" and "Ting Two," bring athleticism to an already talented squad champing at the bit for a state tournament bid.

The Cougars went to scout both top-ranked teams and South Suburban Conference rivals Bloomington Jefferson and Lakeville North this past week. Turner's and Anderson's freshman year marked the first time Lakeville South had ever beaten Lakeville North. This year, another cross-town victory, if it comes in sections, could give the school its first state bid.

Most of the girls have played together for at least two years, providing chemistry early in the season. With a senior-laden squad, they know how precious this opportunity is.

"We know we won't be playing together like this again. It's always kind of in the back of our minds," Anderson said. "That just makes us push ourselves even harder."