East Ridge volleyball coach Steve Anderson not-so-fondly recalls the Raptors’ Class 4A state tournament semifinal match against Lakeville North in 2022, which the Panthers won in a three-set sweep.

East Ridge didn’t win more than 17 points in any given set.

“We didn’t show up. We got sent home,” Anderson said. “I didn’t like that feeling two years ago.”

This was far from that. The Raptors didn’t win Thursday’s semifinal either, but they went down swinging.

Champlin Park survived the titanic bout, 25-16, 20-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12 to advance to Saturday night’s title match against top-seeded Lakeville South. The Rebels had to earn their spot on that stage. The No. 2 seed was pushed to the limit by third-seeded East Ridge, which rebounded from a tough opening set to take control of the match with impressive performances in sets two and three.

“We talked about how we’ve got to come out and be aggressive. We’ve got to the swingers. You’ve got to be the one throwing the punches,” Anderson said of his team. “They came to the fight and they were putting the swings on the ball, getting better touches on the blocks.”

The Raptors maintained their high-level of play throughout the remainder of the match, building a 14-10 lead in the fourth set. But, facing elimination, the Rebels responded to take the set and force a decisive fifth frame.

“I think we’re all super determined. We don’t want this to be the end of our season, we don’t want to end on a loss,” said Champlin Park senior hitter Carly Gilk, who finished with a gaudy 38 kills. “So just remembering that and pushing through is one of the biggest things.”

Both teams have ample experience with five-set matches this season. East Ridge had to go the distance to beat Eagan in the section final, just as Champlin Park had to do against Maple Grove.

The final set Thursday featured a string of marathon points that seemingly could have gone in either direction and, in the end, Champlin Park (30-3) just made a few extra plays.

“People always ask, ‘Are you nervous?’ And I joke, ‘Well, I’m not playing.’ But I am nervous, don’t get me wrong. But I’m not playing,” Rebels coach John Yunker said. “At some point, you have to turn it over to them. … At the end of the day, it’s in their hands, and I couldn’t be prouder of this group.”

Anderson said the same of his team. He noted East Ridge (25-7) lost in four sets to Champlin Park earlier in the season, but that match wasn’t nearly as competitive as Thursday’s — a testament to East Ridge’s growth.

Raptors senior Alexis Opland noted the improvement in East Ridge’s defense, as well as their shot making. Above all else, East Ridge was fearless and embraced the moment and stage that Thursday provided.

“I just think we were really aggressive and weren’t afraid of making mistakes. We all just came together and played for each other,” said Adaora Zebulun, one of three Raptors to finish with double-digit kills.  “Even if it’s going back and forth. … Our mentality was just keep swinging. … Going up and being aggressive, no matter what.”

Asked if they could eventually appreciate the quality of the match they just participated in, even in defeat, the Raptors noted that was already the case. They were cognizant of their growth and achievement as a collective.

“We left it all on the court,” said East Ridge senior Paige Belfield, who paced the Raptors with 13 kills, “and we put our best work out.”

“This, it stings, but so proud of the effort and the grit and the fight,” Anderson said. “Obviously, you want to be on the other side, but just a truly great semifinal match that I think everyone was into, and these girls did a great job.”