By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Ozarks Sports Zone ranks the top teams in Southwest Missouri based on dominance by class, essentially the pound-for-pound comparison of those teams compared to the best in the state. Rankings are sponsored by CoxHealth. Below, you’ll also find our awards for last week’s top performances. If you’d like to nominate a player for O-Zone Player of the Week, please forward stats and information to thejordanburton1989@gmail.com.
1. (1) Rogersville (C3: 24-3-1)
Rogersville finally took a loss, falling to Lutheran South in the championship of Lutheran South’s tournament. That’s interesting, because the two teams could very well meet at the Final Four. Rog did bounce back with a win over Marshfield. A trip to Hollister and hosting Reeds Spring on Tuesday will give the Lady Cats a chance to wrap up and undefeated run in the final year of the COC Small.
2. (2) Strafford (C2: 24-4-1)
The win over Fair Grove was extremely impressive. You’ll notice the loss total jumped, that’s because Strafford was the smallest school in the Lebanon Tournament, splitting with Glendale and losing to Hermann and Jeff City twice. I can’t fault them for jumping one or two classes to get quality games. They jump back into Mid-Lakes play with a trip to Skyline, before heading to Class 4 Carthage for another nonconference showdown.
3. (5) Aurora (C3: 24-3-2)
Aurora is 19-1-1 in its last 21 matches and yet they’re still flying under the radar because of how good Rogersville is. These two teams wouldn’t meet until the quarterfinals, which seems like it would be an absolute showdown. Aurora won the Mount Vernon Tournament on Saturday, beating an improving Class 4 West Plains team twice. The Dawgs are currently unbeaten in Big 8 play, with East Newton and Cassville being the only games that separate them from claiming at least a share of the league.
4. (3) Fair Grove (C2: 23-4-3)
Fittingly, the loss to Strafford went three sets and makes the district championship rematch even that much more intriguing. Fair Grove did follow that up with a championship run in the Licking Tournament, which included wins over MV-BT/Liberty and Eminence. Lady Eagles have a three-game week ahead with Marionville, Conway and Stockton on the schedule.
5. (6) Ozark (C4: 19-6-1)
It was a mixed bag for Ozark, but I can’t hold road losses to St. Joseph’s and St. Teresa’s against them, especially considering 10 of its last 13 games were on the road. The sweep of Willard was impressive and reestablishes Ozark as the top Class 4 team in the area. This schedule continues to be backloaded with Nixa, the Ozark Grand Slam and undefeated Class 3 Christian remaining on the schedule. A win at Nixa gives Ozark yet another COC title.
6. (4) Willard (C5: 26-3-1)
Willard lost to Ozark in two, but the Lady Tigers did bounce back with an impressive sweep of Carl Junction, who took Ozark to three sets. Willard will finish the season by hosting Branson and heading to Republic on Tuesday. The CJ victory gave Willard Seniors 112 wins for their career entering Senior Night.
7. (7) Nixa (C4: 16-6)
The Lady Eagles added wins over Webb City and Carthage to remain in the hunt for a COC Large championship. So, if Nixa beats Ozark and Carl Junction and Willard runs the table, we’ll have a three-way split of the COC title. Could get messy. Nixa’s schedule is ridiculous over the next eight days. Home vs. Ozark, at Ozark Grand Slam, at Carl Junction and at Rogersville.
8. (8) Kickapoo (C4: 23-6)
Kickapoo has won six straight, giving Marci Johnson her third straight 20-win season. Senior Night vs. Glendale and trips to Waynesville and West Plains are all that separates the Lady Chiefs from an unblemished Ozark Conference championship. Which also includes another Springfield Sweep.
9. (10) Winona (C1: 14-7-2)
Winona continues to win despite the injury situation. Lady Cats beat Willow Springs and Mountain Grove, which basically makes them the honorary SCA runner-up. The loss to Poplar Bluff means that six of Winona’s seven losses came against Class 2 or bigger programs. This week they are at Summersville and at Lesterville.
10. (NR) Liberal (C1: 20-3-2)
The Lady Bulldogs make their first appearance in the rankings, thanks to a 20-match unbeaten streak. Liberal is 18-0-2 in their last 20, which includes wins over Jasper, Lockwood and Miller. There area is extremely strong in Class 1, but this Liberal team might be the best bet to make a Final Four run.
Receiving Consideration: Clever (C2: 15-7-3), Sarcoxie (C2: 23-5-2), Carl Junction (C4: 20-6), Carthage (C4: 18-7-1), Marshfield (C3: 14-6-2), Jasper (C1: 20-5-1), Billings (C1: 16-7-1), Lebanon (C4: 16-10-3), MV-BT/Liberty (C2: 19-9), New Covenant (C1: 18-4-2), Lamar (C3: 20-7-1)
O-Zone Player of the Week: Chloe Rear, Strafford
After her performance against Fair Grove, it was going to be hard to give the honor to someone else. Rear totaled 26 assists, 18 kills and 14 digs against Fair Grove. As has been the case all season, she plays her best in big games. She also had a triple-double against Aurora and Lockwood.
Hammer of the Week: Alexa Boyle, Carthage
The 5-foot-8 sophomore has become a stud seemingly overnight. She’s approaching 250 kills for the season and the ball looks like a missile leaving her hand. Carthage is 11-2-1 when she finishes with double-digit kills, including a 2-1 win over Leavenworth (Kan.) where Boyle had 23 kills.
Shovel of the Week: Jazzlyn Wells, Lebanon
Each week a different coach is raving about how good she is on the back row. Wells had 38 digs against Hermann in the championship of the Lebanon Tournament. She now sits at 411 for the season and more than 1,000 for her career, a Lebanon record.
Notable Performances
Lauren Jones, Greenfield – 16 kills and 16 digs vs. Verona
Moriah Coose, Lockwood – 64 and 15 blocks kills in six matches
Sophie Sparks, Fordland – 51 digs in two matches
Wendy Smith, Eminence – 14 kills in two-set win vs. Southern Reynolds
Kennedee Anderson, Ozark – 27 assists in two-set win vs. Willard
Mckenna Miller, Rogersville – 38 assists vs. Timberland (more than 1,100 assists in last two seasons)
Shelby Ply, Rolla – 10 blocks in two-set win vs. Hillcrest
Ashlyn Kirby, East Newton – 39 digs vs. Seneca (seventh game with 25+ digs)
Game of the Week: Ozark vs. Nixa
Yeah, I bet you didn’t see this one coming. Each year this is arguably the biggest game in the Ozarks in terms of postseason implications, talent and hype. This year is no exception. Ozark has won five of the last six meetings, but three of those have gone three sets. It’s nearly impossible to neatly outline what’s at stake in this game, but here’s my best guess:
Ozark win: clinches COC championship and likely No. 1 seed in Class 4 – District 11
Nixa win: likely forces 3-way tie in the COC with Nixa, Ozark and Willard all beating each other and Nixa is likely No. 1 seed in Class 4 – District 11
Why does it matter? Class 4 – District 11 is the Cheesecake Factory of high school volleyball because of how many good teams are in the district. Ozark owns the district until someone proves they can beat them in an elimination game, but Nixa and Kickapoo are perennially 20-win teams with tons of talent and impressive resumes. Getting the No. 1 seed means you avoid an elite team until the championship. Falling to No. 2 or No. 3 means you’ll have to play an elite team in the semifinals, then turn around and play another in the championship. That’s the definition of no Bueno. Willard will certainly be rooting for Nixa to pull it out. Kickapoo is the wildcard in all of this. The Lady Chiefs split with Ozark and Nixa, which means they’ll have as much right to the top seed as anyone. Kickapoo also beat Fayetteville and Rogersville. The seeding meeting for the district is on Friday, which means Saturday’s Ozark Grand Slam – which could see Ozark and Nixa meet again – won’t factor into seeding. With the field being loaded and districts right around the corner, it is imperative for both teams to put together some wins for their psyche.
Oct. 5
Cassville at Lamar
Glendale at Kickapoo
Oct. 7
Ozark Grand Slam (Nixa, Ozark, Carl Junction, Helias, Lafayette, etc.)
Hollister Tournament (Marshfield vs. Clever)
Oct. 9
Eminence at Licking
Waynesville at MV-BT/Liberty
Strafford at Carthage
Oct. 10
Lockwood at Jasper
Liberal at Sarcoxie (likely decides SRVC title, barring upset)
Billings at Clever (likely decides SWCL title, barring upset)
Nixa at Carl Junction (will likely split COC if Nixa beats Ozark)
Reeds Spring at Rogersville
College Spotlight: Ozark AlumsÂ
Autumn Reese, Arkansas Fort Smith
She was a walking floor burn in high school and that hasn’t changed in college. She leads NCAA D-2 in digs with 439. That’s the eight-highest single-season total in UAFS history. She’s on pace for 751 digs, which would be a new program record. Her team is currently 13-5.
Kendra Sater, Drury
She broke tons of school and state records, becoming one of the most decorated players in MSHSAA history; that hasn’t changed at Drury. She’s eighth nationally in total assists (705) and on pace for 1,238, which would be the sixth-highest total in program history. Drury, which is 14-3, will likely play several more games than our projected total indicates. They are an NCAA Tournament team.
Caroline Clifford, Columbia College
Clifford may have left Ozark, but she took her hammer with her. Columbia College is one of the top programs in the nation, winning a national title in 2015. Clifford currently leads the team in kills (245), which puts her in the top 40 nationally.
Sasha Robinson, Texas Wesleyan
Robinson was a jack of all trades at Ozark and that hasn’t changed in college. Texas Wesleyan is 16-1 and Robinson leads the team in assists and digs.
