By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Each week 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. (4) Ozark (C4: 31-9-3)
Not Enough can be said about the job that Adeana Brewer did at Ozark this year. A few weeks into the season – following a 7-4 start – people had labeled Ozark as a team in rebuilding mode. But, Ozark is gonna Ozark, posting a 12-1-1 record in the three weeks leading up to its ninth consecutive Final Four run and Class 4 runner-up finish. The Lady Tigers were again the Missouri Public School champs and the scary thing is they return nearly everything. They finished the season in MaxPreps Top 100. A total of six of Ozark’s losses came against one of the following: nationally ranked team, Arkansas 7A state champ, Arkansas 7A runner-up, Missouri Class 4 state champ (3).
2. (1) Strafford (C2: 31-5-1)
For the second time in the last three years Strafford finished as the Class 2 runner-up. The Lady Indians have had their season ended by the eventual Class 2 state champ three times in the last four years. But, what a run Strafford has had. Four straight 30-win seasons and more than 130 victories in the last four seasons alone, again winning the Mid-Lakes Conference title. The Lady Indians also extended their true road game winning streak to 28.
3. (5) Rogersville (C3: 30-5-1)
Class 3 has become the most difficult class for a public school to win a state championship and Rogersville is just the most recent local squad to fall at the hands of private school powers. The Lady Cats won the COC Small for the 10th consecutive time and finished with 30 wins for the fifth time under Tammy Miller. Two of LR’s losses came to the two teams that played for the Class 3 state title.
4. (2) Fair Grove (C2: 29-5-3)
The Lady Eagles had the misfortune of sharing a conference and district with Strafford, but Fair Grove was easily a top four team in Class 2 statewide. All five of Grove’s losses came to teams that advanced to their class’s Elite Eight in Class 4 Willard (twice), Rogersville and Strafford (twice). Tonya Peck led her team to a 25-win season for the sixth consecutive year.
5. (7) Willard (C4: 31-4-1)
Willard has quietly won four straight district titles, finishing with at least 28 wins in all four years. For the second time in the last three years Willard reached the Elite Eight where they would ultimately lose to Ozark. The loaded Class of 2018 also finishes their collective career 39-6 at home, one of the best four-year marks in program history.
6. (NR) Winona (C1: 19-14-2)
The fact that Winona made this list is a testament to the culture that Francie McBride has created that has trickled down to her players. At one point the Lady Wildcats had to forgo a tournament because injuries had decimated the roster to the point they could barely field a team. And still, a resilient Winona squad made it back to Cape Girardeau for the fifth time in the last six seasons. They’ll have to replace the special senior trio of Lilly Wright, Bridgette Rutledge and Delaney Hicks.
7. (3) Aurora (C3: 29-4-2)
The job that Skye Wade has done at Aurora is nothing short of remarkable. A senior-led group won the Big 8 and a district title in a season that includes wins over Rogersville and Carthage. The Lady Houns enjoyed a 20-win season for the fourth straight year and an unbeaten record at home. They’ll enter 2018 with a 15-game winning streak.
8. (10) Sarcoxie (C2: 28-6-2)
Sarcoxie went two decades without hanging a single volleyball banner, but Lindsay Perigo and company have quickly changed that. The Lady Bears won their second district championship in as many years before losing to Strafford in the Elite Eight. Sarcoxie also claimed a share of the SRVC title and is 15-2 at home over the last two seasons.
9. (6) Kickapoo (C4: 28-7)
Not many teams had a better regular season than the Lady Chiefs. Kickapoo again win the Ozark Conference title, but also picked up regular season wins over Arkansas 7A champ Fayetteville, 7A runner-up Har-Ber, Ozark, Nixa, Rogersville and Jeff City. Kickapoo’s losses were of the highest quality with six of the seven coming to nationally-ranked Helias (twice), Lafayette and Aquinas, as well as Ozark (twice).
T-10. (NR) Miller (C1: 27-10-1)
The Lady Cardinals made it to the Elite Eight for the second time in the last three years, coming up just a set short of a Final Four berth. Miller had some ups and downs during the season, but six of its 10 losses came in three sets. Tamara Landers’ group is the perfect example of how important momentum and energy are in volleyball.
T-10. (NR) Lockwood (C1: 23-13-1)
You don’t have to be impressed by their record, just understand how the Lady Tigers got there. Nine of Lockwood’s 13 losses came against bigger schools, which includes a matchup with Class 4 Joplin. If high school volleyball had an RPI, Lockwood’s would’ve been extremely high due to who they played. Beating Jasper and Liberal on the same night to win a district championship as a 3-seed may have been the most impressive district performance in the area.
Receiving Consideration: Nixa (C4: 22-11), Carl Junction (C4: 25-9), Jasper (C1: 23-6-1), Clever (C2: 21-9-4), Marshfield (C3: 23-8-2), Billings (C1: 21-9-1), School of the Ozarks (C1: 22-8-4), Willow Springs (C2: 21-11-5), Liberal (C1: 23-6-2), Carthage (C4: 23-9-1)
College Spotlight
Missouri State
The Lady Bears have been nothing short of dominant all fall. Missouri State is currently 24-5 and riding a 17-game winning streak. It’s been nearly two months since they lost a match and their resume includes wins over previously ranked Ohio State. Over the weekend MSU swept both Northern Iowa and Drake, who entered the weekend second and third respectively in the conference standings, to clinch yet another Missouri Valley Conference title. MSU will likely be heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in the last 15 years under Hall of Fame coach Melissa Stokes. Three of the Lady Bears top six leaders in kills are COC alums (Aubrey Cheffey-Nixa, Lauren Boone-Branson and Ashley Ophoven-Ozark). The team’s leader in blocks is former Carl Junction standout MacKenzie Irwin and fellow locals Brianne Dixon (Kickapoo), Gerri Idos (Kickapoo) and Laynie Dake (Mount Vernon) are also on the roster. Missouri State will visit Valparaiso and Loyola this coming weekend to wrap up regular season play. The Lady Bears are currently No. 27 nationally in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
College of the Ozarks
Another team that will likely be competing for a national championship is College of the Ozarks. The Lady Cats ran through the regular season with a 30-6 record. Of Stacy Muckenthaler’s 13 players, 10 are from the Ozarks including kills leaders Danielle Curnes (Reeds Spring) and Hannah Bracker (Nixa), assists leader Rielly Dobbs (Nixa) and digs leader Haley Stallings (Fair Grove). Three local players received Association of Independent Institutions conference awards with Curnes (Player of the Year), Dobbs (Setter of the Year) and Stallings (Libero of the Year) all taking home honors. Dobbs is currently No. 20 nationally in assists (1,286) and Stallings is No. 14 in digs (695). Oddly enough, Stallings’ former back row P.I.C. at Fair Grove, Jorden Stacey (Evangel), is also nationally ranked in digs.
Other Notes (national stat rankings for NCAA divisions were last updated on Nov. 10)
Rachel Rippee (Arkansas/Kickapoo) No. 17 nationally in assists (1,122)
Rachel Holthaus (Murray State/Winona) No. 7 hitting percentage in Ohio Valley Conference (.296)
Kendra Sater (Drury/Ozark) No. 4 nationally in assists (1,248) *sixth-highest single-season total in DU history*
Autumn Reese (Arkansas-Fort Smith/Ozark) No. 1 nationally in digs (769) *single-season UAFS record*
Caroline Clifford (Columbia College/Ozark) No. 16 nationally in kills (453)
Jorden Stacey (Evangel/Fair Grove) No. 7 nationally in digs (775) *4th most in program history*
Victoria Fishback (Evangel/Fair Grove) No. 22 nationally in assists (1,258) *3rd most in program history*
Jane Kickham (Mineral Area/Glendale) No. 4 nationally in hitting percentage (.399), No. 24 in kills (347)
*Mineral Area is 34-0; 6-seed in NJCAA D1 National Tournament*
Sasha Robinson (Texas Wesleyan/Ozark) 6th in Sooner Athletic Conference in assists (655); 2nd Team All-SAC
Ivy Reynolds (Lindenwood/Ozark) leads Lady Lions in assists (646) and second in digs (259)
Bentley Mara (Drury/Harrison) leads DU in hitting percentage (.277) and second in kills (312)
Paige “Rage” Perry (Drury/Ozark) 166 kills, 324 digs for Drury
Katie Robinson (SBU/Ozark) leads SBU in kills (213) and blocks (86)
Brea Freeman (SBU/Rogersville) leads SBU in assists (631)
Bailey Baumann (SBU/Ozark) leads SBU in digs (384)
Olivia Johnston (Evangel/Rogersville) finished second on team in kills (373) and third in digs (361)
Kinli Simmons (El Dorado Springs/MSU-West Plains) team-high 578 assists
Kamryn Artale (Kickapoo/MSU-West Plains) team-high 458 digs
Bridget Justis (McNeese State/Drury/Ozark) selected for AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship
