By: Lucas Davis
Few things feel better for a team than righting the wrongs from a loss earlier in the season by winning the rematch with a district title on the line.
That is exactly what second-seeded Webb City did on Saturday after rallying from an early deficit to defeat longtime rival and top-seeded Carl Junction 23-25, 25-23, 25-17 and 25-14 in the Class 4 District 6 championship at McDonald County High School.
"I couldn't be more proud of them," Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. "We have kind of been struggling in recent games and have been messing with our rhythm and chemistry. We have been kind of stop and start, but today we were very smooth and played together. They've melded a little more over the last couple of weeks and I am so proud of them because we had to fight for every point.
"CJ is a top opponent. You have to love this type of volleyball, with the top two teams in the area in a great match. I was very proud of my girls for stepping up and I think our experience in these situations helped us make an adjustment when we had to. We had kids step up into big shoes and make big strides, putting the ball where we needed to to score, working together, for each other and trusting the game plan. It was a great team effort."
MOVING ON
The district title is the third straight for Webb City (27-6), which advances to the quarterfinal round of the Class 4 state tournament.
Last year, the Cardinals made a run to the semifinal round before ultimately finishing fourth in the state. Webb City, which is ranked eighth in Class 4 entering the postseason, is relying on that experience as it attempts to duplicate and surpass the success from the postseason a year ago.
"Having the success of the last couple of years makes you more comfortable in these situations," Lawrence said. "It has helped us everyday this year, driving us to propel further and bringing the young ones up with us. I felt like we kind of stalled a couple of weeks ago and then they realized how well they can play together. That belief in each other—showing that and proving that is helping us get the job done in tight situations. We can rely on each other because we are battle tested. We fight and work hard."
SAYING GOODBYE
With the loss, Carl Junction ends its season with a 25-9-2 record. The Bulldogs, which entered the district tournament as the No.11 team in Class 4, have won 20 games or more for five straight seasons.
"I thought our kids came out ready to battle," Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. "Then, some things started going the other way and we just couldn't climb out of that hole. But they continued to battle all the way through and I am proud of them for that.
"We had a lot of big holes at the beginning of the season. There were a lot of 'what ifs'. We had kids really step up in a lot of different positions and even learn new positions for us. We've had a great season and I am super proud of them."
Carl Junction graduates seniors Acadia Badgley, Sara Buchele, Miya Carnes, Aubreigh Fowler, Abigail Wilson and Kylie Scott.
"Some of them have been on the varsity court since they were freshmen, contributing from the very beginning," Sharples said. "Those of them that weren't were still contributing to our program, namely helping to build the atmosphere and the culture of our program. That was their number one goal this year—to create a great culture around the team. They did that."
BETWEEN THE LINES
Carl Junction opened the first set with momentum, building an early 9-4 advantage off a three-point service run from Buchele that featured a kill from Fowler and a block by DeShaye Buerge. Buchele came up with a four-point run in service later in the set, which featured an ace, after a sideout kill from Scott to push the CJ lead to 21-13.
After back to back kills from Scott made the score 23-15 moments later, Webb City scored eight of the next nine points to put on a furious rally and trail 24-23. Aubree Lassiter had a block and three kills to highlight the surge. The game ended on the next point with an attack error going in favor of the Bulldogs.
Webb City started off slowly and ultimately dropped the first set, but the Cardinals changed their fortune in the second set. After a serving error by CJ forced a sideout, Mia Lenker went on a four-point service run that had kills from Jaeli Rutledge and Lenker that gave the Cardinals a 10-5 advantage.
"I think we really just got off to a bad start," Lawrence said of her team's ability to rebound after dropping the first set. "The first 10 points of the game we weren't playing like we can, but we really turned it around (near the end of the first set) and started playing better, but we had already given them too many points. We just took that momentum from the last half of the first set into the second set."
Both teams traded back and forth until Carl Junction scored seven of eight points—with kills from Carnes, Fowler and Scott, who also had a block—to give the Bulldogs a 19-17 lead. Each team traded sideout kills for the next seven points to bring the score to 22-21 in favor of CJ with Webb City serving. Savannah Crane delivered with an ace to tie the set at 22s, a kill from Lenker and an attack error on CJ put the Cardinals in front 24-22. Fowler earned a kill for CJ to force a sideout before Lenker answered back with another sideout kill to send Webb City to the win while tying things up at 1-1.
"Mentally, that was huge for us," Lawrence said of her team staving off CJ late in the second set. "That was a momentum swing, which is a big factor in volleyball. … That just solidified that they were capable of doing this and gave them even more confidence."
The Bulldogs and Cardinals traded swings in the early portions of the first set. Webb City initially built a 7-3 lead highlighted by kills from Makayla Mayes and Lenker and a block from Kirra Long before Carl Junction scored six of the next nine, with Scott earning three kills and Fowler one, to trim the deficit to 10-9.
Webb City took the momentum permanently thanks to back to back four-point service runs from Lenker—which featured an ace and two kills from Rutledge—and Jaylee Van Beceleare, who aced three times, to build a 20-11 cushion on the way to the go-ahead win.
"They're both very skilled in their serving as far as placement," Lawrence said. "And, they have a lot of heat behind their serves, so it's hard to pass. Anytime you can serve aggressively and keep them out of their system, they can't get it to their big hitters as well. That helps our defense to stay alive and gives our hitters a chance to get a hold of it back at them."
The Cardinals jumped in front of the final set early, using a sideout kill from Mayes to build a 5-2 lead before Lenker ripped off four points in service to push the lead to 9-2. Lenker had an ace, while Mayes and Rutledge had kills.
CJ's Karissa Chase earned a sideout kill which was matched by a kill from Rutledge before a block by Crane and an error on the Bulldogs pushed Webb City's lead to 12-3.
The Cardinals shook off an error and gained service back on a kill from Long before Crane scored four straight points in service, with Lassiter earning a kill before an ace closed the run with an 18-5 lead intact.
The closest Carl Junction got to the lead was 10 points before Webb City finished off the win.
STATS
Rutledge had 18 kills and two blocks, while Lassiter finished with 17 kills, three aces and three blocks. Mayes had six kills, while Long had four and added seven digs. Savannah Crane finished with 38 assists and two aces, while Sophia Crane finished with 19 digs and two aces.
Carnes led Carl Junction with 33 assists, including an impressive one-handed assist, and three aces. Scott had 15 kills and 12 digs, while Fowler finished in double-digit kills with 10. Chase finished with nine kills, while Wilson led the team in digs with 18.