Volleyball

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Overcoming adversity and illness within the team, the Portageville volleyball squad delivered a commanding straight-sets win over Oran on Thursday, September 21. The Lady Bulldogs (18-2-2), winning of five consecutive matches, defeated the Lady Eagles (3-11-1) with set scores of 25-14, 25-8 and 25-17...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. — In a disappointing match, Sikeston volleyball suffered a decisive 3-0 defeat at Scott City on Thursday, September 21. The Lady Rams (6-5-1) celebrated Senior Night with the win over the Lady Bulldogs (4-11-2) in set scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-15...

The scoreboard doesn’t always tell the story. That was the case on Thursday as the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders downed Cape Central 3-0. The Crusaders earned the sweep by winning 25-23, 25-20 and 25-17, despite the fierce effort by the Tigers. “I was really happy with the energy and fire we had,” Crusaders coach Stephanie Brown said. “They came out and they played hard and I couldn’t be more proud.”...

Roundup BASEBALL Senath-Hornersville 2, Twin Rivers 0 The Twin Rivers Royals took a loss on the road against Senath-Hornersville 2-0. Joshua Lilly opened the game for Twin Rivers Varsity. They surrendered three hits and two runs over two innings, striking out one and walking two. Drew Soloman led Twin Rivers with one hit in three at bats...

SIKESTON — Despite a less-than-perfect showing, the Dexter volleyball team powered through to defeat Sikeston 3-0 at the Sikeston Junior High School on Wednesday, September 20. The Lady Bearcats (8-7-0) claimed victory over the Lady Bulldogs (4-10-2) in a hard-fought match, winning with set scores of 25-19, 25-17 and 25-17...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — In another highly contested chapter of the Mississippi County rivalry, East Prairie bested Charleston in straight sets at CHS on Monday, September, 19. In a spirited atmosphere filled with rambunctious and passionate supporters for both teams, the Lady Eagles (3-6-) soared to victory, overpowering Lady Bluejays (1-7-0) by securing set scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 26-24...

It’s hard to measure the impact a player like Holland Guilliams has on a program. Recently, Guilliams recorded her 1,000th career dig as a member of the Jackson Indians. “It’s really so impressive,” Indians coach Dave Mirly said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had another player accumulate 1,000 digs in their career. That’s a huge milestone.”...

Cape Central volleyball (7-6-1) drew back over .500 with a 3-1 victory hosting Woodland (8-7), winning sets at 23-25, 25-13, 25-19 and 25-17. Cape Central’s Nalaiya Furlow finished with a team-high 11 kills, with Madison Phelps following with nine. Avery Criblez’s 18 assists led offensive production while Edyn McAllister pitched in another 12...

The Oran volleyball team (3-9-1) lost a hard-fought match against Malden (6-7-1) on Monday, September 18. “We ended losing the fifth set after Malden got a big jump on us early on with a scoring gap that we just couldn’t overcome,” said Oran coach Lindsey Bickings. “We continue to make progress with being mentally strong and my young players and new leaders are beginning to see how important each of their roles are on the court.”...

PIEDMONT, MO. — The Portageville volleyball team (16-2-2) continues to make a splash this season, winning the Clearwater Tournament this past weekend with unmatched skill and a tidal wave of determination. “I felt we played well in that tournament,” said Lady Bulldogs’ coach Sasha Kellam. ...

There have been certain things that people in Stoddard County can always rely on through the years, such as getting stopped by a train in Dexter, being swarmed by snow geese in February out at Otter Slough, and the Bernie High School volleyball team having a winning season.

The Jackson Indians fell to Cor Jesu in three sets (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) on Monday, Sept. 18, in Jackson, Mo. Katy St. John led the Indians with 10 kills, followed by nine from Nadia Wasilewski and seven from Ella Domian. Holland Guilliams led the Indians with 10 digs and Ava Wessell had 10 assists. The Indians (8-3) return to host Sikeston on Tuesday...

It wouldn’t have been difficult to find the skeptics when Hayley Orf continued to preach in an optimistic tone through the opening month of this volleyball season.

Things started slow, but the Jackson Indians came together to knock off the Notre Dame Bulldogs 3-0 on Thursday at Notre Dame Regional High School. The aforementioned slow start saw the Indians fall behind 8-3 early. “Notre Dame did a wonderful job,” Indians coach Dave Mirly said. “We couldn’t slow their middles down the first two sets. We really had to make that adjustment.”...

AST PRAIRIE, Mo. — The East Prairie volleyball team lost in straight sets to Senath-Hornersville at EPHS on Tuesday, September 12. The Lady Lions (7-5-1) won over the Lady Eagles (2-4-0) with set scores of 25-23, 25-14 and 25-18. “I do not think that was our best performance,” said East Prairie coach Kelle Goodding. ...

SCOREBOARD Monday, Sept. 11 Senath-Hornersville d. Cooter, 25-22, 18-25, 25-16, 28-26 Scott City d. Kennett, 16-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-19 Sikeston d. Campbell, 25-19, 25-15, 18-25, 25-17 Record: Campbell, 2-8-2 Holcomb d. Risco, 25-16, 25-22, 25-16 Portageville d. Malden, 25-19, 25-18, 25-19...

The St. Vincent volleyball team returned home from the Dig For Life Tournament with a three-set win over Crystal City (25-9, 25-15, 25-14) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, in Perryville, Mo. "Crystal City is a bit down this year," St. Vincent coach Darren Verseman said. "We handled the ball well, I was very pleased with that, and we played pretty well."...

Scott City VB dealing with adversity after Dig For Life Tournament The Dig For Life Tournament, an event so big that it takes two days and three locations, serves as an inflection point for the seasons of many teams. "I think we are a stronger team after having played through the Dig For Life," Scott City coach Cidny Henry said...

Perryville softball (2-9) hosted Herculaneum (1-6) on Tuesday and took a routing win, defeating the Blackcats 20-4 on the backs of a powerful offensive performance. Kylee Stortz led the Pirates offensively, driving in six runs including a second-inning grand slam to unload the bases and eventually complete a 10-run frame to truly establish the team’s offensive onslaught...

BASEBALL Twin Rivers 7, Bernie 2 After falling behind 2-0, the Twin Rivers Royals battled and came away with a 7-2 win at home Tuesday over Bernie. Luke Hester had the win on the mound and went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs in the victory. Jake Hester also finished with multiple hits...

The Jackson Indians (7-3) volleyball team made quick work of their rivals, the Cape Central Tigers (5-6-1), winning in straight sets on Tuesday at the Jackson High School Event Center. It was also senior night for the Indians as they prepared to say goodbye to nine seniors at the end of the season...

SIKESTON, MO. — The Sikeston volleyball team spiked, dug and dinked its way into the win column, clinching its first regular season win with a 3-1 victory over Campbell at the Sikeston Junior High School on Monday, September 11. The Lady Bulldogs (3-6-2) secured the win with set scores of 25-19, 25-15, 18-25 and 25-17 over the Lady Camels (2-7-2)...

ADVANCE – It was only 365 days ago that Bell City High School volleyball, led by a talented junior class of athletes, toppled Advance 3-1, knocking off not just a power program throughout Southeast Missouri, but the entire state of Missouri. However, given where the two teams have ventured since that night, it seems a lot longer than one calendar year.

Scott City (4-3-2) got back to its winning ways on Monday night as the volleyball team defeated Kennett (4-3-4) in four sets, winning 3-1 (16-25, 25-13, 25-11, 25-19) after dropping the first set then rebounding for three consecutive set wins at home...

DEXTER – The 2023 Dexter High School volleyball season has been a trying one, and it doesn’t appear that it will become any easier anytime soon with several challenging tests looming on the horizon. However, one wouldn’t sense that when watching the Bearcats, who have tried to maintain a level of positivity through their tough times.

First impressions go a long way. The Advance Hornets made a memorable impression at the Dig For Life Tournament on Saturday, the first appearance for the group in nearly 10 years. “This is the first year we’ve been in,” Hornets coach Erin Hoffman said. “I think when I got to Advance nine years ago we were in it but then we got out of it. We just came back this year.”...

Against all odds, East Prairie defied expectations and orchestrated a stunning comeback over Cooter at EPHS on Thursday, September 7. The Lady Eagles (2-3) batted back to defeat the Wildcats (2-3) with set scores of 22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-12 and 19-17. “Lydia Valencia took charge of the team in those last moments,” said East Prairie coach Kelle Goodding. “She was loud, aggressive and rallied them to victory.”...

DEXTER – The history of Richland (Essex) High School volleyball has shown to be a tough one, outside of an incredible 18-win season in 2021. And this fall is showing signs of that once again. However, in watching the Rebels compete – and the players do compete – it is also obvious that the Richland players are going to work through their final match to improve.

After an impressive 3-0 start to the season, the New Madrid County Central volleyball team experienced a humbling setback with consecutive losses, reminding the team of the challenges they face on the court. The Lady Eagles (3-2) lost 3-2 in a gripping match to Malden (3-1) on Tuesday, September 5. The team won the first two matches 25-16 and 25-9 before falling 25-23, 25-23 and 15-13...

A hot start has the Cape Central Tigers feeling good as the 2023 Dig for Life tournament approaches. The Tigers are 5-0 and have won every match in straight sets. “We’ve got off to a really good start”, Tigers coach Haley Silman said. “I’m really proud of them. We had a good player go down last night and they could have really let it affect them but they didn’t. They rallied together and kept it together and played well.”...

DEXTER – As far back as MSHSAA records go (about 15 years, give or take), the Dexter High School volleyball program has never opened a season with four consecutive losses. The Bearcats came close in 2018 when they dropped three straight to start that year. However, Dexter rebounded to finish that season with a very strong 17-9-3 mark.

Leading up to the annual Dig For Life Tournament in Cape Girardeau, Saxony Lutheran and St. Vincent settled their volleyball rivalry on Tuesday with the Crusaders prevailing in five sets (25‑15, 25‑19, 24‑26, 24‑26, 15‑10) at St. Vincent High School in Perryville, Missouri...

Those familiar with high school girl’s volleyball throughout Southeast Missouri know well enough that a program’s class designation by MSHSAA is essentially meaningless.

As the 2023 rendition of Dig for Life draws near, fans, players and coaches alike are anticipating another competitive tournament. One team with sights set on making a run at the championship is the Notre Dame Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are playing in the Red Division Pool D alongside Fredericktown, Dexter and Winona...

It’s not often a high school volleyball team faces a team with multiple Division I talents and it’s even less often that being a regional rival but that’s the hand the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules were dealt on Tuesday as they fell to the Jackson Indians in straight sets...

ORAN, Mo. — The Oran volleyball team faced another uphill battle Thursday night at home down two sets to none but staved off elimination winning the last three sets to defeat visiting East Prairie three sets to two at Oran High School. As Oran coach Lindsey Bickings watched her young group of players fall behind 25-20, 25-23 to East Prairie she didn’t waiver from exhuming confidence into her players,...

ADVANCE – There aren’t many high school volleyball programs in this state that have proven capable of having success against Advance. However, Saxony Lutheran is one of those that has.

Scott City volleyball coach Cindy Henry described the 2023 Rams as "same team, different look." "I have a lot of the same returners coming back, but we have a completely different atmosphere," Henry said. The Rams went 24-11-3 last year, their second consecutive 20-win season. Led by Ramsey Spinks and Gracie Karrenbrock, Scott City looks primed for another 20-win season...

BASEBALL South Iron 9, Neelyville 2 The Neelyville Tigers fell to South Iron 9-2 Thursday. South Iron went up 6-0 after three as the Tigers added runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings but it wasn’t enough for the comeback. Zak Cowley had two hits for Neelyville...

DEXTER – The 2023 volleyball season has gotten off to a challenging start for the Dexter High School program, and with Southeast Missouri area power Jackson visiting the Bearcat Event Center this evening (6:30 p.m.), the tests are going to get tougher before they get easier. However, first-year Bearcat coach Haylee Orf has been in the profession – even though it has been as an assistant – long enough to know she needs to maintain a positive energy through any adversity. “I’m excited,” Orf said recently.

SIKESTON — Despite a valiant effort, Sikeston fell short against Cape Central at the Sikeston Junior High School on Wednesday, August 30. The Lady Tigers (2-0) defeated the Lady Bulldogs (0-2) with set scores of 25-13, 25-17 and 25-19. “I was pleased with our performance today,” said Sikeston coach Marc Jannin. ...

Portageville started its season with a 3-1 victory at Gideon (1-1) on Friday, August 25, winning with set scores of 13-25, 25-10, 25-22 and 25-22. Jayla Weddington led the team with an impressive performance, contributing 12 kills, three blocks and two digs. Ja’Niya Smith showcased her skills with 14 digs, 11 kills, four assists, two blocks and an ace...

The Poplar Bluff High School Lady Mules volleyball team needed a near-perfect game to secure their home opener win, but a mid-set collapse would cost them dearly. After a strong start, the Lady Mules’ spark would run its course, and they would suffer defeat by the North County Lady Raiders 3-1 (17-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-21)...

The Poplar Bluff High School Lady Mules volleyball team is set to host North County (0-1) for their home opener on Wednesday.

Chaffee softball (3-0) scored early and often against Kelly (0-4) but put in an eight-run dagger in the fifth inning to seal a 13-1 victory on the road. Reese Van Pelt and Ayne’ Held both finished with three hits, while Carlyanne Cossou, Paizleigh Graham and Jordynn Blair all recorded two hits in the win. In total, Chaffee notched 15 hits in the game, driving in 13 runs with Van Pelt and Graham driving in four each and Blair driving in another three...

Bell City opened the Woodland Invitational Volleyball Tournament with a sweeping victory over Zalma, 25-9, 25-17, 25-9 on Monday, August 28, at Woodland High School in Marble Hill, Missouri. "We exchanged a few points, but then we started to get a few runs within the game, within the set," Bell City coach Lori Meyer said. "Once we started getting a little in, our momentum started, and we were able to put the game away."...

ADVANCE – The Advance High School volleyball program has created this situation for itself.

The Jackson volleyball team opened the home slate of the 2023 season with a 3-0 sweep over Ste. Genevieve (25-15, 25-9, 25-15) on Monday, August 28, in Jackson, Missouri. It was a rebound win after starting the season with a road loss to Class 4 runner-up Incarnate Word on August 26...

A fast start proved to be the difference maker in the Cape Central Tigers’ 3-0 win over the Poplar Bluff Mules on Monday at Cape Central High School. Monday’s matchup was the regular season opener for both teams and it didn’t take long for the Tigers to get engaged...

Saxony Lutheran and Jackson played host to Windsor at Southeast Missouri State University on Monday, with the hosts both defeating Windsor handedly.