By Riley Bean
Pierce City, MO – The top seed in the Class 1, District 8 volleyball tournament came out victorious in Pierce City on Tuesday. The Wheaton Lady Bulldogs got past Verona in the semifinals and then went on to beat Miller in straight sets in the championship match.
A trio of seniors led the way for Wheaton in the title match with Karlee Mason, Emily Killion and Adison Goostree contributing big numbers in the victory. The middle hitter Mason had a monster night, leading the team with 12 kills and 26 digs.
“I thought our defense set the tone for the entire night,” said Wheaton coach Robert Creekmore. “I thought we played well offensively, but our defense is what put us over the top and really frustrated [Miller] and allowed us to get ahead.”
Miller competed close with Wheaton in the first set, as no team led by more than two points until late in the set. After falling behind 15-13, Wheaton went on a run and scored ten of the next twelve points to go up 23-17.
Miller scored four straight points to come within 23-21, but Wheaton finished the set on top 25-22.
The second set wasn’t as close.
The Lady Bulldogs ran out to a 15-5 lead in the second set, making a comeback nearly impossible to complete. Miller tried, though, closing the gap to 18-11 at one point. But the Wheaton lead became insurmountable, as they would go on to win the set 25-17 to complete the sweep.
“I think we do a good job of putting pressure on teams with our defense,” Creekmore said. “When we are playing good defense, it is very difficult for teams to get the ball on the floor… We frustrate teams because they keep hitting balls and we keep sending them back over. And it may not be a perfect dig every time, but it’s playable.
“I think sometimes we can just get into some teams’ heads. They’re used to those balls going down, and they just kind of continue to come back.”
The middle-hitter combination of Mason and Killion got the job done at the net. In addition to Mason’s 12 kills and 26 digs, Killion contributed seven kills and 15 digs of her own. The setter Goostree assisted on 19 points, making the three seniors tough to handle.
Miller’s star junior hitter Tori Collins did all she could to keep her team alive, tallying nine kills for the Lady Cardinals. But Miller simply didn’t have the firepower to match the Wheaton defense.
“We just never really got going,” said Miller coach Tamra Landers. “We just never really got into a rhythm and got going in that second game, or in the game period against Wheaton.”
Wheaton took full advantage of being the top seed in the tournament. Not only did they get a first-round bye, but they also got the early game against Verona in the semifinals, whereas Miller had to face the host team Pierce City immediately before the championship game.
“I think that [Miller] had to spend a lot of energy to get through Pierce City,” said Creekmore. “They’ve got a good crowd and you’re on the road having to play the home team… It just takes a lot of emotional energy. Maybe not a lot of physical energy, but you have to stay focused and the crowd is crazy. You’ve got to mentally be in every point.”
Meanwhile, with Wheaton already in the championship match, they had time to prepare for whichever team they would face next.
Miller finished the season as champions of the SRVC conference with a 28-3-2 record.
“I told them that there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” said Landers. “We have had a great season. They’re undefeated conference champions, the best season we’ve had in a really long time. So there’s nothing to hang their heads about.”
Wheaton (24-6-4) advances to the sectional round on Saturday, Oct. 22 where they’ll take on Eminence (25-9).
“I just know they are a perennial powerhouse there in [Class 1] volleyball,” Creekmore said.
He continued: “We set some goals early in the year… Last year was my first year at Wheaton. We didn’t quite go .500, but we were up 12-5 in the third set against Purdy for the conference championship last year. And they came back to beat us. So I think we were a little hungry.
“You know, conference championship and district championship; those were on our radar. We checked off one box with the conference, we checked off another box tonight, and we get to come practice tomorrow.”
