Spring Valley may have been disappointed by its 67-40 loss against Augusta in the first round of the Division 4 postseason, but that defeat didn’t wash away the growth that the Lady Cardinals demonstrated throughout the 2022-23 season.

Spring Valley’s development didn’t show in its record. The Cardinals finished this season 6-18 overall compared to last year’s 6-19 showing. Instead, the development shined when Spring Valley competed against top-tier teams in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference.

In the 2021-22 season, the Cardinals posted a 3-11 record in conference play. This year, Spring Valley was 5-9 in Dunn-St. Croix games and finished tied for fifth in the league – one position ahead of last year’s standings.

For head coach Sean Hoolihan, seeing his girls play elite programs such as Elk Mound, Colfax and Durand competitively – even if just for one half – was a sign that his team improved considerably this year, even if the record didn’t reflect it.

“Our team grew positively this year,” Hoolihan said. “We played really well at times and stuck with teams like Colfax for a half. We just need to be more consistent and take care of the ball better.”

Although Hoolihan’s squad played great halves throughout the year, the Cardinals often struggled to compete with elite teams for an entire game. Spring Valley’s game against Colfax on Dec. 16, the first of two annual meetings, was a textbook example.

The Cardinals battled the Vikings throughout a competitive opening frame and went into the intermission down just two points, 17-15, against a Colfax team that went on to win 21 games and qualify for the state tournament in Green Bay.

In the second half of that game, Spring Valley let it get away as the Vikings outscored the Cardinals 44-19 in the final 18 minutes en route to a 61-34 blowout victory.

Spring Valley experienced a similar situation in its first of two contests against Elk Mound this year. The Cardinals hosted the Mounders on Feb. 10 and trailed 36-23 at halftime. Elk Mound outscored Spring Valley 44-11 in the second half and cruised to a 77-34 victory.

Elk Mound went on to win the conference championship and finish the year 25-2. For Coach Hoolihan, playing a premier program closely for a half was the sign that his girls are closer to competing with the perennial powerhouse programs than it might appear.

The biggest issue for his Cardinals this season was consistency. Throughout the year, he spoke about how when his team played well, they could compete against anyone in the conference. The problem was that they regularly struggled to put 36 great minutes of basketball together.

“The inconsistency of our team was the major hurdle we tried to overcome,” Hoolihan said. “If our girls can put the time in the offseason to improve on fundamentals and continue learning the game, that will help with our consistency and turnovers. If we can do that, I’m looking for another step forward.”

One of the biggest reasons Spring Valley took a step forward this year is because of how junior guard Mara Ducklow developed. Ducklow averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this season. Her points and assists per contest were both team-high figures.

All those numbers improved from her splits last year, which included 11.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Ducklow developed physically which boosted her rebounding numbers, but she also became a much more lethal shooter.

During the 2021-22 campaign, Ducklow shot just 27% from beyond the arc on 57 attempts. This year, she shot 41% from three and increased her volume to 84 attempts. Hoolihan spoke about Ducklow’s development and her room for growth heading into her senior season next winter.

“Mara really took more on this year,” Hoolihan said. “Her defense was one of the best things I feel she improved the most. She also became a more aggressive scorer and I feel that she can take another step next year to be even more aggressive.”

While Ducklow has another season left with the program, Spring Valley will be without departing seniors Lydia Hannack and Ava Peabody, who both played important roles for the Cardinals this season.

Although neither player dominated the stat sheet, both found ways to positively impact this year’s team. Coach Hoolihan spoke about how his two seniors left their mark on the team through leadership and defensive effort.

“Lydia was a great leader in her actions and in the locker room,” Hoolihan said. “She really tried to keep everyone positive and on the same page. Her hustle, leadership, and maturity will be missed. Ava really improved this year in her aggressive play and defense. She was always positive and fun to be around.”

Spring Valley returns four of its five starters next season including Ducklow, sophomore Audrey Mathison, junior Charli Vanasse, and junior Maddie Shafer. Hannack is the lone departing senior.

For Coach Hoolihan and the Cardinals, putting in offseason work and improving fundamentals will lead to more consistency and in his eyes, a lot more wins.