Volleyball

The Advance Hornets swept district rival Leopold 25-14, 25-20, 25-14 Thursday night at Leopold. The Hornets and Leopold are members of MSHSAA Class 1 District 3. Advance will host the tournament in late October. No individual statistics were reported...

The four-set showdown between host Saxony Lutheran and Woodland could be a contender for match of the year. The Cardinals squeaked past an upstart Crusaders volleyball team and a raucous student section to win in four sets, (23-25), 25-19, 37-35, 25-19 on Tuesday...

SIKESTON — The shorthanded Sikeston volleyball team found it tough to get in a groove early against visiting Ellington Tuesday night, falling to the Whippets in four sets 25-10, 25-10, 22-25, 25-16. “We were missing 5 varsity girls last night due to illness and injury,” said Sikeston coach Chelsie Holifield. ...

Notre Dame coach Meredith Brinkmeyer will tell you firsthand that her team did not have the best performance in the Dig for Life tournament over the weekend. But on Tuesday night she found out what her team is made of, as the Bulldogs rallied from losing the opening set to win three straight, beating Ste. Genevieve (19-25), 25-22, 25-21, 25-11 at Notre Dame Regional High School...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. — The Kennett volleyball team could not have started its game with host Scott City any worse on Monday night. The Indians dropped the first set 25-2, but coach Gentry Vancil was able reset her players, put the opening set in the rear-view and her team played much better despite ultimately surrendering the match in four sets...

SIKESTON — All season long the Sikeston volleyball team has had to deal with missing players. The trend continued Monday but the Lady Bulldogs had little trouble adjusting, taking out Campbell in three sets, 25-22, 25-9, 25-15. “We still have three out right now,” said Sikeston coach Chelsie Holifield. “More and more keep going out and some come back. We’ve definitely had to be flexible.”...

Behind Grace Ozark’s nine kills and nine digs and Anna Thomason’s eight kills and six blocks, the Saxony Lutheran volleyball team pulled out a huge home victory over a talented Park Hills Central team on Monday, beating the Rebels in three sets, 25-21, 25-21, 25-18...

This weekend's Dig for Life Tournament didn’t start out the way Woodland volleyball coach Melissa Rinacke had hoped, as the Cardinals took one on the chin early in tournament competition on Friday against Columbia’s Rock Bridge, losing both sets. Woodland rebounded nicely, forged ahead, and brought home a second-place trophy on Saturday, losing to Class 5 school Northwest out of Cedar Hill, Mo., at the Show Me Center, 22-25, 18-25...

The Saxony Lutheran Crusaders found themselves in familiar territory during Thursday night’s volleyball match against Sikeston. Saxony had taken a 2-0 lead, but allowed the Bulldogs to claw back to tie the contest 2-2. The Crusaders faced a similar situation Tuesday in an eventual 3-2 loss to St. Vincent...

POPLAR BLUFF — Bloomfield and Poplar Bluff came into Thursday’s match both looking for their first set victory on the young season. After the Wildcats opened with a big run to take the opener, they needed late pushes to hold off the host Mules. An 11-3 run gave Bloomfield the second game before the Wildcats closed out the match with consecutive points for a 25-15, 25-22, 25-23 win at the Senior High Gym...

MALDEN — In a five-game thriller, Kennett never led by more than four points. The Indians played from behind most of the night but rallied when it mattered to win 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12 and stay undefeated heading into the Dig For Life Tournament this weekend in Cape Girardeau...

The Advance Hornets recorded their fourth sweep in four tries this season with a 25-18, 25-13, 25-21 victory over Arcadia Valley on Thursday at Ironton. No individual statistics were reported. The Hornets (4-0) will host Bell City in an SCAA match at 6 p.m. Monday at Advance High School...

Behind a stout all-around game by senior outside hitter Rylee McClintock, Notre Dame won relatively easy Tuesday evening, beating Sikeston in straight sets, 25-8, 25-13, 25-11. The host Bulldogs came out firing from the opening serve. Notre Dame’s taller front line caused problems for Sikeston defenders who were trying to make digs off of hammered-down kill attempts from left-handed hitter McClintock as well as sisters Lexi and Tori Rubel and Kristin Anderson...

Dexter volleyball coach Starla Pulley was quick to laud Cape Central's capable frontline, namely towering outsider hitter Ella Vogel But the Bearcats - Class 3 state quarterfinalists a year ago - had even more firepower at the net, sweeping the Class 4 Tigers 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 on Tuesday at Cape Central High School.

The last time that the Sikeston High School volleyball squad enjoyed a winning season (2017), the lone Bulldog senior on this year’s team (Leilani Smith) wasn’t even in high school yet. However, first-year coach Chelsie Holifield is focused on changing that trend and she has already begun the process of doing so.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — Woodland volleyball coach Melissa Rinacke has a good thing going in Marble Hill, Mo. For the third time in as many years, the Cardinals can call themselves champions of their own tournament, as Woodland beat a tough Saxony Lutheran team in four sets in Friday's championship game (16-25), 25-18, 25-14, 25-21...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — The Woodland Cardinals and Saxony Lutheran Crusaders both won semifinal matchups on Thursday in the Woodland Invitational Tournament to advance to Friday night’s championship. The Cardinals defeated Oak Ridge 25-21, 25-13 to improve to 2-0 on the young season...

SIKESTON – Cape Central opened its 2021 girl’s volleyball season with a 3-0 win over Sikeston on Wednesday at the Sikeston Field House. However, the shutout margin didn’t paint an accurate picture of how competitive the match was.

Poplar Bluff generated more offense from the service line than at the net Wednesday night as the Mules lost their second game in as many nights to start the season. North County, meanwhile, had four players with six or more kills and nearly matched the Mules in aces to win 25-17, 25-21, 25-12 at the Senior High Gym...

The Advance Hornets improved to 2-0 in SCAA play with a 25-17, 25-9, 25-19 victory over Richland on Tuesday at Advance High School. No individual statistics were reported. Advance (2-0) will host Oran at 6 p.m. Sept. 7. Richland (0-2) will travel to Gideon for a 7 p.m. match Thursday...

Another Holifield began their career Tuesday night in Sikeston as volleyball opened their season at the Field House. Sikeston’s newest head coach Chelsie Holifield is the wife of Sikeston assistant basketball coach and former player Will Holifield, and daughter-in-law to Hall of Fame coach Gregg Holifield. ...

A late four-point lead in the opening game quickly vanished and the Poplar Bluff volleyball team never recovered Tuesday night in its season opener. Liberty-Mountain View rallied with an 8-1 swing that featured three kills and a pair of aces to turn the tide in a 25-22, 25-16, 25-17 win over the Mules at the Senior High Gym...

KENNETT – There are different ways to look at Kennett’s 3-0 volleyball win over Oran on Monday.

Meadow Heights started the first round of the Woodland Tournament on Monday with a straight-set victory over Greenville, 25-22, 25-19, and 25-16. The Panthers were led offensively by Halli Bollinger who recorded a game-high 11 kills to go with eight digs...

It was all New Madrid County Central Monday night as they were victorious over the Senath- Hornersville Lady Lions 25-8, 25-8, 25-11. The NMCC girls started off the scoring by a Senath hitting error, then an ace by Shaia Fountain. Senath slowly started to play fundamental volleyball, but could never gain the momentum to go on a run...

There are few businesses anywhere in the world that haven’t had to think differently over the past couple of years in this ever-changing environment that we are all immersed in, more than likely, forever. And Semoball.com is not immune to that. The website devoted to providing sports fans thorough coverage of sports throughout Southeast Missouri is still going to make that its mission on a daily basis, however, the internal pieces are going to be doing some shifting moving forward.

SIKESTON — Coming off a difficult 5-22 season, spirits could be down within the ranks of the Sikeston volleyball program. But under new coach Chelsie Holifield, spirits are high with a mix of veterans and youth looking to give the Bulldogs their first winning season since 2017...

Losing five players to graduation and having just three seniors and one returning junior on the roster, the Poplar Bluff volleyball team will be young this fall. “We’re taking it day by day, switching positions that they hadn’t played, then kind of playing around with it to see what works best for us,” said third-year coach Aimie Parkin...

Baily Stevenson didn’t know how to break the news to Poplar Bluff volleyball coach Aimie Parkin that she was pregnant and the baby’s due date was just going to be just as fall practices were to start. “I was having trouble breaking it to her and I was really worried about what she’s going to think,” said Stevenson, who had just finished her first season as Parkin’s assistant coach...

Prior to the MSHSAA Class 4 Boy’s Soccer state championship game last November in Springfield, Jackson senior goalkeeper Luke Mirly wasn’t exactly feeling great.

The Semoball Cup is presented to the school with the most successful season based on a formula that takes into account the combined winning percentage of all sports teams (WIN) plus bonus points for advancement in postseason play for both teams (POST) and individuals (IND). The bonus points are divided by the number of teams a school fields. Here are the standings with previous rankings from 2020:...

Spring sports and top award finalists for the 2021 Semoball Awards presented by SoutheastHEALTH will be announced Friday, along with the final wave of tickets going on sale. The announcement of finalists can be heard at 9 a.m. Friday on SEMO ESPN Radio and on the Semoball.com Facebook page. A story recapping all the finalists will publish later Friday online at semoball.com and in your local newspaper...

For a variety of reasons, the athletic programs at Meadow Heights haven’t always been at the top of the area conversation. However, that will likely be changing, as the volleyball and baseball programs have turned the corner under the tutelage of the husband and wife duo of Bailey and Cody Kennedy, who coach those programs, respectively.

SIKESTON — Growing up in Perryville, Missouri, Chelsea Holifield knows what it is like to be part of a “volleyball town.” Now the new head coach of the Bulldogs’ volleyball team wants to turn Sikeston into a “volleyball town” as well. “I’m excited to have a hand in helping build success within our girls’ sports and building a volleyball program that develops well-rounded student leaders and great athletes,” Holifield said. ...

Meadow Heights senior volleyball player Gracie Cook signed to play for Lewis and Clark Community College during a recent ceremony at the school. Shown with Gracie (front, center) are (front, from left) her father, Dave Cook, mother, Amy Cook, (back, from left) Panthers’ coach Bailey Kennedy, and Cook’s grandmother, Marge Besher...

Sierra Sievers has heard plenty of stories about Jefferson College volleyball coach Aida Steiger, so the Poplar Bluff senior was happy to get an offer. “She is amazing and I’m so excited to play for her,” said Sievers, who recently signed her National Letter of Intent to play for Steiger’s Vikings...

The Notre Dame's Boys junior varsity volleyball team won first place in the St. Francis Borgia tournament Wednesday. The Bulldogs defeated Lutheran St. Charles 25-17, 25-18, the Lutheran St. Charles C Team, 25-10, 25-11, and defeated Borgia 25-12, 25-22 to win the championship...

Following a year of missing out on gathering with friends and family due to the COVID pandemic, everyone, including sports fans, is anxious to spend time with those closest to us once again.

Woodland senior Emma Brown signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Greenville University in Illinois.

Jackson volleyball coach Dave Mirly wasted no time – none – in allowing Hannah Shinn to get a taste of varsity volleyball action.

SIKESTON — There are more opportunities for area volleyball players to enhance their skills. The Sikeston Volleyball Club has increased from one team to five, leaving founder and director Samira Taylor more than excited, knowing that athletes are interested in growing the culture around the Sikeston area...

Home Sweet Home That’s exactly what a college visit to Greenville University felt like for Kennett senior Anna Beth Vancil in November. “I loved the atmosphere,” she said. “It was so welcoming. I went on a couple other college visits but I didn’t feel at home like I did there. Plus they have a great volleyball coaching staff and I love their campus.”...

It remains unclear as to what the intentions of the late (and oh, so great) Johnny Cash were in heading to “Jackson,” but one thing is for certain if he would have visited the town of that name in Southeast Missouri he had better have been prepared to see something victorious (and to fight traffic on a Friday night).

Advance High School senior volleyball player Alyssa Miles signed to compete next season at Missouri S&T in Rolla. Miles (seated, center) was joined by family, friends, and Hornet coaches at a ceremony at Advance High School recently. (photo courtesy of Advance Athletics)...

The 2020 SEMO Conference South Division Volleyball Awards have been announced. Kennett senior Anna Beth Vancil is the South Division Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year. Anna Beth Vancil finished with 36 ace serves, 219 kills, 28 blocks, 112 digs, and 180 assists...

The stakes were as high as they could be for area athletes throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as they competed in various MSHSAA postseason competitions.

The 2020 Bootheel Conference Volleyball Awards have been announced. Campbell’s Macy Hendrix and Caruthersville’s Mallory Faulkner have been selected Bootheel Conference Co-Players of the Year. Hendrix collected 206 digs, 296 assists, 221 kills, and 64 ace serves while serving at a 96 percent rate her senior season...

The 2020 Tri-County Conference volleyball awards have been announced. Holcomb senior Bailey Cupples is the 2020 Tri-County Conference Volleyball Player of the Year. Cupples compiled 221 kills, 45 blocks, and 44 aces while serving at 97 percent rate her senior season...

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes were immersed in their postseason competition.