FARMINGTON, Minn. – The Farmington Tigers kicked off South Suburban Conference action in thrilling fashion on Wednesday, April 16, with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Apple Valley Eagles in their home gym.

Apple Valley entered the match at 2-2, looking to bounce back after a loss to the Jaguars—a team Farmington had recently battled. The Tigers, sitting at 1-2 and hungry for their first home win, came out of the gates blazing.

Set one saw Farmington catch fire early, storming to a 7-2 lead and forcing an early Apple Valley timeout. The Eagles responded quickly, tying things up at 10-all. But the Tigers regained control, pulling ahead 18-15 before another Eagles timeout. The set was ultimately iced by Andrew Kaliev, who delivered a thunderous two-ball from the middle to seal a 25-19 Farmington win.

Momentum swung the other way in set two. As Apple Valley settled into the match, the Tigers lost their edge, falling behind 7-12 and calling for a timeout. Despite their efforts, the deficit proved too much to overcome, and the Eagles evened the match with a 25-20 set win.

Refocused and reenergized, Farmington opened set three with another burst, jumping out to a 10-5 lead and stretching it to 18-9 before the Eagles could regroup. The Tigers never let up, dominating the set 25-16 behind efficient offense and aggressive serving.

With their backs against the wall, Apple Valley dug deep in set four, matching the Tigers point-for-point in a tense battle. Neither team led by more than three until the Eagles edged ahead 23-20, prompting a Farmington timeout. Despite a late push, the Tigers couldn't regain momentum and dropped the set 20-25, setting up a decisive fifth frame.

Both teams had tasted five-set heartbreak earlier in the season—Apple Valley against Mound Westonka, Farmington against Austin. This time, the Tigers were determined to flip the script.

They did just that.

A quick side-out and steady rotation put Farmington up 7-3 early. Jacob Graham's timely ace and a monster block by Braden Woody pushed the lead to 11-4, forcing the Eagles to burn their final timeout. A missed serve momentarily opened the door for Valley, but Woody slammed it shut—tooling the block from the outside and following with a powerful middle attack.

With the crowd roaring and the energy peaking, the Tigers closed it out 15-7, securing the match 3-2 and notching a gritty, statement win to kick off conference play.

Final Score - Farmington defeats Apple Valley 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 25-16, 20-25, 15-7).
Location -  Farmington High School, Farmington Minnesota.
Record - Farmington 2-2, Apple Valley 2-3.
Up Next - The Tigers head to the Lightning Big Bolt Classic hosted by Eastview on Friday, April 18th and Saturday, April 19th.