Author: Ryan Williamson

After his team’s incredible comeback victory against Forest Lake in five sets, Eden Prairie volleyball coach Chad Becker told the media at Xcel Energy Center that his team was no stranger to coming back in matches during the 2021 season. “They’ve been doing this all year,” Becker said, per the Star Tribune. “Late in games, they find a way to come back. There’s no clock in volleyball. If you’re down 10, you can come back. They battle for every point. They’re very resilient.” The Eagles’ resiliency was tested once again in the state semifinals against East Ridge. However, EP could…

Ten years ago, the Eden Prairie volleyball team played in a historically tight match with Lakeville North for the state championship. The two teams battled it out for five sets before the Eagles emerged victorious. On Wednesday, Eden Prairie played a match against Forest Lake in the state quarterfinals that matched the epic nature of the Lakeville North tilt. After falling behind 2-0 in the match, the Eagles rallied to force a fifth set. After battling beyond the normal 15-point threshold in the deciding set, EP eventually emerged victorious and capped off a comeback for the ages, winning in five…

For just about every volleyball team across the state, the idea of making the 2021 state volleyball tournament has been top of mind since practice started in the middle of August. But for the Eden Prairie volleyball team, the dream of playing on the biggest stage dates back to the 2020 season, a shortened one that did not have state or section tournaments. The Eagles have accomplished that goal of making that state tournament. It’s the first time the school has made the tournament since 2014. Their latest run for a state title kicks off on Nov. 10 against Forest…

Based on the final Class 4A coaches’ poll of the season, it appeared likely that if Eden Prairie could emerge as the Section 2-4A champion, the Eagles would be one of the top five seeds in the Class 4A state tournament. On Sunday, Nov. 7, when the coaches met to determine the seeds, that became a reality. The Eagles earned the No. 2 seed and will play Forest Lake at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10 at Xcel Energy Center. The practice of seeding the top five teams in MSHSL big-school state tournaments is a given for nearly all sports. Each…

As the third quarter drew to a close during Friday’s Eden Prairie-Lakeville North game, many heads were down on the Eagles sideline. EP, playing at home, trailed the Panthers 10-7 with its season on the line. Three plays later, however, the mood among the Eagle players did a 180-degree turn. EP jumped on a muffed Lakeville North punt. The mood improved even more plays later when the Eagles went ahead for good. They defeated an upset-minded Panther team 14-10 to advance to next week’s Class 6A state quarterfinals. Looking at the records of Eden Prairie (8-1) and Lakeville North (4-5)…

For the EP girls’ volleyball team, losing at home is not something that happens often. Especially this season. Heading into Thursday’s Section 2AAAA final against Chaska, the Eagles had not dropped a match at home. They kept it that way, defeating the Hawks in three sets—26-24, 25-19, 25-23—to capture the section championship and advance to next week’s Class 4A state tournament. The volleyball team will often play its regular season matches in EPHS’ auxiliary gym. But with the stage of a section final, the Eagles relocated to the main gym. And they needed the space. Both fanbases packed the inside…

As the temperatures cool, the fall high school sports season is slowly closing. But that doesn’t mean the EPHS portion of the fall season is done yet. Eden Prairie is still part of many of the fall sports conversations. This week, two of the most prominent include volleyball and football. Both squads face significant challenges this week. It starts with volleyball on Thursday, Nov. 4, and football on Friday, Nov. 5. Volleyball The EP volleyball team hosts the Class 4A, Section 2 championship match at home on Thursday. A win would mark the Eagles’ first state tournament appearance since 2014.…

Though the 2021 high school girls’ tennis season did not include many of the limitations that came during the most recent season thanks to COVID-19, EP coach Alexa Horoshak and her team dealt with challenges such as players out due to COVID protocols and injuries. “It felt like we haven’t had our same team every day,” Horoshak said. “There were a lot of ups and downs.” Despite some of those challenges the team faced, the results the team found were notable, whether it was the team’s run to the section 2AA final or success at the individual level. When it…

During the second half of the 2020-21 school year, the Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) athletics department was not only dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic but also with a new leader. In January, longtime athletics director and current football coach Mike Grant left his post leading the activities at EPHS but stayed in his role with the football team. His departure meant the school was looking for an athletic director for the first time in nearly 20 years. After a search, the school eventually landed on Russ Reetz, who was Prior Lake’s athletics director at the time.…

Nearly six months after the Eden Prairie High School boys’ hockey team captured a state championship, another member of the Eden Prairie community has come home with some championship hardware. The latest is 15-year-old Nina Huynh. A member of the Eden Prairie Figure Skating Club (EPFSC), Huynh captured the state championship in the open juvenile girls division state title in September. Huynh won her state championship at the Bloomington Ice Garden, the home of this year’s Minnesota State Figure Skating Championships. Her division featured six other skaters. Huynh finished the competition with a score of 32.74, nearly one point better…