SPRING VALLEY — Spring Valley defended its home floor against Elmwood/Plum City on Thursday, winning 3-0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-17). The Cardinals had firm control of all three sets, winning with relative ease.

“Coming into that game we were a little taken aback by the two losses that we had the previous week against Clear Lake and Colfax, and kind of wanted some redemption,” Head Coach Kelli Schlegel said. “The girls came out with some fire, and played such a, I don’t want to say a flawless game, but very conscious of putting the ball in play and making good decisions at the net and service line.”

After facing two losses, Schlegel said the team met a bit of a hump. They had a choice to make: work hard to get it figured out or let a promising season fade away. The Cardinals chose to put in the work.

“There’s always a midseason, end of season slump, and we usually hit it around that Amery Tournament,” Schlegel said. “This was the first year in a long time that we’ve competed very well at that tournament.”

The way Spring Valley has played since, Schlegel is confident they can play up to the level of the area’s best including Webster and Clear Lake in the postseason.

“We are pretty heavy in the senior department,” Schlegel said of Spring Valley’s seven seniors. “Just the leadership in Ella Stangl and Ella Peterson stepping up, Addie Nelson, our setter, she’s been setting now for three years. Her stepping up and being consistent is what we need in close matches.”

All seven need to have the next play mentality through the roller coaster down the road.

“It’s definitely going to take some consistency. Not bowing down when we lose or when we have an error, and learning and moving forward from those errors,” Schlegel said. “Play for each other. You’re not playing for yourself.”

Schlegel is preaching working as a team rather than worrying about individual statistics.

The Cardinals are 4-2 in Dunn-St. Croix Conference play with the win. Both final two matches come on the road, the first Oct. 14 against Durand-Arkansaw and the second at Glenwood City on Oct. 16.

The Wolves are certainly no slouches this year either, beating Frederic, Glenwood City, Somerset and Three Lakes over the weekend to win the Somerset Tournament. A perfect mix of upperclassmen leadership and young, talented players has set EPC up well for the road ahead.

With two conference matches to play, EPC is 3-3. EPC’s final two matches are at home, the first against Mondovi on Oct. 14 and the second against Boyceville on Oct. 16.