Hermantown’s girls volleyball team has reached the stretch of the season when every match begins to look like preparation for the postseason.
The Hawks enter this week with an 11-7 record after extending their winning streak to four matches with a 3-0 road victory over Rock Ridge last Tuesday. The sweep followed consecutive victories over White Bear Lake, Superior and Duluth Denfeld and continued a strong late-September run for coach Jessica Williams’ team.
The Hawks’ recent surge has been built around a core group that has provided increasingly consistent production.
Outside hitter Audra Schott has developed into one of Hermantown’s primary attacking threats. She had 16 kills in a four-set victory over Superior and followed with 10 kills in a straight-set victory over Denfeld.
Setter Kylee Stokke has been central to the Hawks’ offensive improvement. Stokke distributed 41 assists against Superior and added 28 against Denfeld, giving Hermantown a dependable setter capable of involving multiple hitters.
Lilah Conley has also provided important production, contributing seven kills against Denfeld after earlier recording 12 kills and 28 digs in a four-set victory over Proctor. Evie Nelson added 12 digs against Denfeld, helping give the Hawks another reliable defensive presence.
The balance has become increasingly important as Hermantown moves into a demanding week.
The Hawks host Grand Rapids at 7 p.m. today in one of their most significant remaining matches before traveling to the St. Michael-Albertville area for the Midwest Fall Classic on Friday and Saturday.
The tournament will expose Hermantown to another level of competition and give Williams an opportunity to evaluate her team against programs it does not regularly see during the Lake Superior Conference schedule.
That matters with the postseason approaching.
Hermantown has already shown it can win in different ways. The Hawks defeated Superior in four sets after dropping the opening set, then overwhelmed Denfeld 25-9, 25-18, 25-18. Earlier at the Duluth East Invitational, Hermantown defeated White Bear Lake 2-0 and Irondale 2-1 while pushing Forest Lake to three sets in the silver division championship match.
The Hawks have also demonstrated that their offense does not have to come from one player. Schott gives Hermantown a proven finisher, Stokke controls the offense from the setter position, and Conley and Nelson have contributed to a defense that has become more dependable as the season has progressed.
Tuesday’s match against Grand Rapids should provide another useful measurement.
Grand Rapids enters the matchup with a 12-8 record and has the size and athleticism to test Hermantown at the net. For the Hawks, the objective will be to maintain the serving, passing and offensive balance that fueled their recent winning streak.
Then comes the Midwest Fall Classic, where Hermantown will see a broader collection of opponents and tournament-style pressure.
The regular season is beginning to run short. For Hermantown, that makes this week less about building a résumé and more about building a team capable of playing its best volleyball when the section tournament begins.