Streak Over: Edina Volleyball Gets Conference Win

Edina junior Christine Harvey watched her final kill of the night soar over the net, deflect off a Minnetonka player’s hands and land safely beyond the Skippers’ baseline.

The aftermath? That’s not so clear.

Because as soon as that ball hit the floor—giving the its first conference victory since 2007—hugs, screams and a tidal wave of green and white took center stage.

“Just the adrenaline rush of everything—I just felt like we were all working together and we all wanted to win,” Harvey said. “We just found a way to do it. We found a way to win.”

The Hornets defeated Minnetonka 3-2 on Tuesday at . Edina overcame a 2-1 deficit in dramatic fashion, earning a 23-25, 25-20, 22-25, 26-24 and 15-13 victory.

The last time the Hornets won a conference match was Oct. 2, 2007—a 3-2 win over Robbinsdale Armstrong in the old Classic Lake Conference. But the 29-game losing streak came to an end Tuesday, and under first-year coach Stephanie Chapek there might be signs of change for this Hornets program.

“I told the coaches tonight—Steph, who is a brand new head coach here—this is the best Edina team I’ve seen in seven years of coaching in this conference,” Minnetonka coach Karl Katzenberger said. “I thought Edina came out with a lot to prove. They had their A-game, and they played well enough to win.”

It wasn’t easy by any means.

Edina (7-3-1, 1-2 Lake Conference) led 21-17 in the first set but let it slip away. After winning the second, the Hornets again had a chance to take the lead—holding a 20-18 advantage. 

But the Skippers (7-5, 1-2) again came back and pushed Edina to the brink heading into the fourth set.

That’s when the Hornets showed their grit. Edina responded by earning a two-point win—26-24—and forcing a decisive fifth set.

“We just came out with a competitive intensity,” Chapek said. “I just felt like it was our match, and we were going to win it. I was a little nervous, but I always deep down believed we would pull it out.”

The Hornets did just that, putting an end to their four-year conference losing streak on Parents Night.

“I can’t even describe it, it’s so exciting,” Harvey said. “It was our first conference win, too. That was one of our goals this season—to win a conference game.”

It’s the type of victory that this group of Hornets will never forget.

“This is so great,” Chapek said. “They had tears in their eyes after. It’s something they’ve wanted for so long.”

MATCH SUMMARY

Minnetonka 25 20 25 24 13

Edina 23 25 22 26 15