Mohawk Chronicles: District Volleyball Primer

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It’s that time again! In just three days the cream will have risen to the top and just 64 teams in Missouri will be playing for the right to be a state champion. Here’s everything you need to know entering this week.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL BRACKETS

Class 1

You can’t talk about Class 1 without starting with Winona. The Lady Wildcats are the three-time defending state champs and return nearly everyone from that team. And, even without Rachel Holthaus, Winona hasn’t dropped a game to a Class 1 team. It looks a lot difference this year because they are do it with savvy defense and timely hits, but they still have to be the favorite. But, should this be the year the streak ends, there are several teams that could make Final Four runs.

District 5 at Eminence – This is the most straight-forward district in the area in Class 1; Eminence is the No. 1 seed, the best team and the favorite. The Redwings were a perfect 6-0 against district competition and 8-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Liberty. Keep in mind the last Class 1 team to beat Winona was Eminence and that was back in 2011, the last time the Redwings won a state championship. Should they stumble, Lesterville is the most likely team to win the district. They took a set off of Eminence less than a month ago.

District 6 at Winona – This might be the most intriguing district. First, I’ll start by saying four of the six teams in the district are below .500, but the two top seeds are elite within the class. Winona is hosting, so you’d assume that the perennial power is the No. 1 seed, but that honor went to Fordland. Now, that is controversial to say the least because of the strength of Winona’s resume. The Lady Cats haven’t lost to a Class 1 team, but also own wins over Stockton, Buffalo, Eminence and Cabool. We wondered what they would look like without Holthaus and the answer is walking floor burns, with four players registering at least 231 digs, led by libero Tesla McGee’s 432. Maddy Counts has been one of the biggest keys, not only continuing to dig balls (255), but also taking over the setting role (337 assists). Fordland gets the honor (target) of being the No. 1 seed in the district. The Lady Eagles are riding a 12-match unbeaten streak and their losses are all quality (School of the Ozarks, Willow Springs and Crane). Winona swept Fordland in last year’s district championship, but that was before Lady Eagles received a boost from freshman standout Sophie Sparks.

District 7 at Purdy – On paper this is another top heavy district and seems pretty clear cut. School of the Ozarks is the No. 1 seed and is riding a 21-game winning streak, which includes three wins 2-seed Hurley and a win over Fordland. The Mark Twain Conference champs are also driven by the fact they’ve lost in back-to-back district championship games and if ever there was a year to make a run, this would be it. But, the field isn’t a pushover. Hurley has been solid all year and senior Zava Bennett is one of the best you’ll see at the net. The darkhorse of the district is its host, Purdy. The Lady Eagles have enough size at the net to cause some problems and it’s not immobable size; Desi Ennes (55 blocks) and Layne Skiles (79 blocks) are extremely athletic. Throw in the return of senior Courtney White from last year’s ACL injury (149 kills, 209 digs) and Purdy, who is 7-2-1 at home, has a chance to make a district run.
 
Class 2

I will go on record now and say that the Ozarks will have a state champion in Class 2, the question is who will it be? MV-BT/Liberty is definitely the favorite. The Lady Eagles rolled to a state championship last year and have given no reason to believe that won’t be the case again. But, both Fair Grove and Strafford have plenty of motivation and talent to hoist some hardware in Cape Girardeau and Crane is also in the conversation as one of a few other sleepers to keep an eye on.

District 9 at Cabool – This district starts and stops with Liberty. The Lady Eagles are 30-3 and seem like they are set for another run to Cape. The most impressive part is all three losses came to Class 4 competition (Ozark, Northwest and Willard) and Liberty was a combined 10-0 in the district. Again it has been a balanced effort, with Jo Walkup, Brenley Stearns, Jessi Stretch and Brook Conway all posting at least 150 kills and a .300 hitting percentage. Cabool and Willow Springs are the teams most equipped to knock Liberty off, but that will be a tall order. The Lady Bulldogs are just 2-6 in their last eight games, while Willow Springs is just 2-4-1 in its last seven. But, the fact that Cabool is 13-2 at home makes Angie Jester’s team dangerous.

District 10 at Fair Grove – I’ll start by saying I love what Ash Grove has been able to do this season. The Lady Pirates are 9-2-1 in their last 12 and own wins over Bolivar, Catholic and School of the Ozarks; to say they aren’t a threat to win the district as a 21-game winner would be reckless. But, this district should come down to host Fair Grove and Strafford. The rivalry between the two programs is no secret, nor is the Lady Eagles dominance in the series lately. Fair Grove has won 11 of 13 against Strafford, but the Lady Indians last win came in last year’s district championship. Both teams return nearly everyone from that game. Kill leaders Chloe Rear and Kaylee Larimer (recent C of O commit) have again been dominant, but have received a boost from transfer Rilie Vote, which has allowed Rear to do some setting as well, allowing Strafford to play faster. Fair Grove has many of the same usual suspects with Jorden Stacey (498 assists, 252 digs) and Haley Stallings (345 digs), but freshman Alana Findley (178 kills, 52 blocks) has been a difference maker for Tonya Peck this fall. FG has taken two this year, but it means little if they don’t win the third.

District 11 at Clever – Crane is the No. 1 seed and really it wasn’t close. The Lady Pirates were 6-0 against district opponents and also had wins over Camdenton, Fordland and Bolivar. Crane’s four losses came to Strafford, Willard, Buffalo and Waynesville. Marionville, Clever and Southwest all had losses to Crane, but are all capable of pulling the upset. Marionville started the season 10-0-1 and has wins over Clever and Southwest. Clever has been inconsistent, but the good includes a win over Catholic and taking sets from Ash Grove and Hollister. The Lady Jays also traditionally play well at home. Southwest has 21 wins, the second most in the district, and Swiss-army knife Jamie Shrum. The senior has 252 kills, 412 digs, 234 assists and a state-high 93 aces. Her 253 career aces is unofficially the fourth most in state history.

District 12 at Diamond – No Class 2 district has more parody than this one. Lamar is the top seed, had the toughest schedule and hold wins over Reeds Spring, Seneca and McDonald County. Let's not forget that it's also Lamar and athletes seem to grow on trees there. But, the Lady Tigers also lost to 2-seed College Heights in three sets just a month ago. That was the two teams’ only meetings. That same CHC also went 1-1-1 with Pierce City in three meetings and lost to 5-seed Sarcoxie. Pierce City and El Dorado Springs have both played brutal schedules, so don’t be surprised to see either team make a run.

Class 3

Class 3 is the most difficult class to win state in because you not only get good public schools, but many of the best private schools are also in Class 3, including the last two teams to win state (Helias and Borgia). The last time a public school won state in Class 3 Bill Clinton was running for reelection and no current high school players were even born.

District 9 at Marshfield – This district has the potential to get interesting. Mount Vernon is state-ranked and has been the best Class 3 team in the Ozarks, but four of the six teams in the district have at least 16 wins. It’s impossible to not start with the Lady ‘Neers, who were 9-1 against Class 3 teams. MSU commit Laynie Dake is obviously a stud (386 kills), but having a veteran setter in Payton Woodrum has also benefitted senior Karli Meeks (156 kills). Mount Vernon enters with a 10-game winning streak. Rogersville is the 2-seed, but has owned Class 3 in the Ozarks historically. Tammy Miller has won district championships in 11 of 16 years at LR, including winning it last year before losing to eventual state champ Helias in the quarterfinals. Rogersville had to break in several young players, but winning 14 of 15 suggest they’ve figured it out and senior Olivia Johnston is the perfect blocker to slow elite hitters. Here’s where it gets tricky. Buffalo is the 3-seed and owns wins over Branson and Catholic, but the Lady Bison lost to Marshfield on the road in three. Marshfield is the 4-seed and beat Harrison (Ark.), took a set off Lebanon and Strafford and beat Hollister, but also got swept by Catholic. Speaking of the Fightin’ Irish, they could be the most dangerous team because of how unpredictable they are. They beat Aurora and Ash Grove, but also have some interesting losses.

District 10 at Monett – This district is key because the winner will get to host the sectional/quarterfinal round. And as of now all signs point to Aurora being the host. The Lady Dawgs are the only 20-win team in the district, which includes wins over Mount Vernon and Carthage. But, Aurora did lose to 2-seed Hollister. The Lady Tigers also beat Buffalo and Catholic in COC Small play. Reeds Spring and East Newton have also been very competitive with some elite teams, making them dangerous in the district as well.

Class 4

Lafayette has ruled Class 4 for nearly a half decade, grabbing four consecutive state titles and pumping out D-1 prospects like McDonald’s and pink slime. But, this could be the year all that ends and there is no shortage of teams capable of doing it. I count seven programs capable of Final Four runs, with Class 4 No. 1 Nixa having the strongest case. It’ll be interesting to see if someone can knock off Ozark when it matters the most.

District 10 at Willard – Willard is not only the host, but the No. 1 seed and favorite to win the district title. The Lady Tigers rolled through the district last year without dropping a set nearly everyone is back from that team. They went undefeated against district opponents and 8-3 at home, with those losses coming to Borgia, Glendale and Nixa. Kate Bushnell (214 kills) is playing like a stud and having a D-1 setter (Kenzie Bouse) is a luxury not many have. Upsetting them won’t be easy; neither is trying to decide which team is most likely to do it. I love Lebanon and what it’s done under the tutelage of Jenny Collins. The Lady Jackets won 20 games, even playing without junior standout Faith Alwardt. Lebanon didn’t lose to anyone in the district outside of Willard, but did go three sets with both Waynesville and Hillcrest. Speaking of those Lady Tigers, 3-seed Waynesville is the third 20-win team in the district and has the most athletic weapons in the district between Kallie Bildner and Ariel Okorie. But, Waynesville was swept by 4-seed Camdenton less than three weeks ago. The Lakers were swept by 5-seed Hillcrest on Sep. 24, Hillcrest lost to 6-seed Central twice and Rolla, who picked up the 7-seed, owns a win over Waynesville. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in that seeding meeting.

District 11 at Kickapoo – This is the toughest district in the state and I would venture to say that’s the case regardless of sport. Nixa is the No. 1 seed and the No. 1 ranked team in Class 4; the Lady Eagles haven’t lost a game to Missouri competition, which includes going 8-0 within the district. Nixa's losses came to the two best teams in Kansas and Arkansas. It could also be a historical run for Nixa with Aubrey Cheffey and Rielly Dobbs moving into the top 10 in Missouri history in kills and assists respectively. The 2-seed went to Ozark, who dropped two to Nixa and one to Glendale to open the season, but the Lady Tigers beat Fayetteville (Ark.), who beat Nixa in the championship of the Ozark Grand Slam. Being able to rest Paige Perry over the last few weeks of the season is also something that should pay off for the Lady Tigers come districts. UMKC commit Kendra Sater continues to make a case for being the most productive player in Ozark history. Her 2,282 assists are a school record and top 10 all-time in state history and her 344 sets plays are three shy of Winter Craft’s state-record of 347. She is 34 digs away from being the first player in Missouri history with 2,000 assists, 1,000 digs and 500 kills. Ozark has owned this district and everyone in it traditionally, having that edge mentally could be the difference. Glendale could have had a legitimate beef with getting the 3-seed considering they beat Ozark in the two teams’ only head-to-head meeting. But, the game is played on a neutral court so it’s really a moot point. The Lady Falcons have quite the resume, including a split with Lafayette at the Ozark Grand Slam before losing to Nixa in the semifinals. Nixa has been the thorn in Glendale’s side, winning all three meetings this year. The darkhorse in the district is Kickapoo. The Lady Chiefs have battled injuries all year, but a 2-0 win over Glendale for the Ozark conference championship less than two weeks ago shows what kind of top end talent they have. Missouri State commit Gerri Idos leads a back row that feels like they can dig up anything, but the presence of 6-foot freshman Azyah Green at the net makes Kickapoo even tougher defensively. Kickapoo was 11-4 at home isn’t a more dangerous 4-seed in the state than the Lady Chiefs.

District 12 at Joplin – Carl Junction won the district last year, Republic won it the year before that and Carthage is the top seed this year. Having no perennial power in the district makes this time of year fun. Starting with Carthage, it is easy to see why the Lady Tigers are the top seed. Few are more talented or athletic than Carthage and libero Rayna Jefferis is one of the best in the business and going unbeaten against the district in the regular season helps. But, the separation between Carthage and 2-seed Carl Junction isn’t great. The Lady Bulldogs lost at home to Carthage on Sep. 1, but have caught fire recently going 15-3-1 to end the season. Cat Repsher and Lexi Miller are the best one-two combination in the district with both topping 200 kills and hitting better than .300. This team is peaking at the right time under Kaylee Mann. No other team in the district has won 20 games, or even has a winning record. It would be tough for anyone to steal the district, but Republic is the most likely. The Lady Tigers are below .500 because they play one of the toughest schedules in the Ozarks. But, that also means they are battle tested. Piper Wright knows what it takes to win district championships and she has kids that have been successful in every sport they’ve played. Republic went three with both Carthage and Carl Junction this year, don’t be surprised if they make a run.

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