By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Tuesday night’s district championship match was 53 weeks in the making for the MV/BT Liberty Lady Eagles. Last year, they were upset by Cabool in the second round of district play.
Liberty got its rematch and a straight-set win to claim the Class 2 District 9 championship.
“So 53 weeks is what it was to the day that we waited for that,” Liberty head coach Shari Tune said. “They’ve worked hard all season. They’ve wanted Cabool to be back here, they wanted to redo that game.”
Cabool advanced to the title game and took on Liberty immediately following their win in three sets over Licking.
“Wow, what a night,” said Cabool head coach Julia Reaves. “We came out on top against Licking. We played well and were hungry for that win. For the championship game, Liberty came to play and we shut down pretty quickly. Hats off to Liberty.”
In the first game, Liberty jumped out to an 11-3 lead thanks in part to 3 points from Piper Francis, and points by Kelstin Roy, Kennedy Cooley and Peyton Bush at the net. Service errors for each team moved the score to 15-5, and then Allie Smith stepped up with three tips at the net and two spikes. Kennedy Cooley added a point and Smith prevailed in a standoff at the net to bring the score to 21-8. Piper Francis would add the next kill, helping the Lady Eagles to a 25-9 finish. Jaydra Johnson put up three of the Lady Bulldogs’ points in the game.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
The second match was tied early, 5-5. Errors played a big part in the game, but Johnson, Carly Bennett, and Makayla Green put points on the board for Cabool. For Liberty, Francis added two kills and a service point, while Smith added a kill of her own and Caitlyn Basham picked up two saves at the net. The Lady Eagles won their second game, 25-16.
“With seven seniors on the floor, it’s hard to pick out anyone who just stands out, Tune said of her Lady Eagles. “Every game it’s someone different. But always consistent is my libero; Trinity Clark is always on target. And my setter, Caitlyn Basham, is always phenomenal. And then I’ve got Piper Francis, who decided to come back to us this year on the outside and Allie Smith in the middle, so they are just great overall.”
“As much as my seniors do their job, I’ve got some young sophomores who are standing up, too,” she added. “Kelstin Roy and Peyton Bush. This is their second year, and I’m really proud of them tonight, too.”
Coach Reaves highlighted her team’s season accomplishments. “I’m so proud of my girls. This is the winningest season Cabool has ever had in volleyball history, going 26-8-3. I’m so proud of this team.”
MV/BT Liberty will host the sectional and quarterfinal matches on Saturday. Strafford, Sarcoxie and El Dorado Springs will come to town with one of the four teams leaving with a ticket to the Class 2 Final Four.
