By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Nixa, Mo. — The last time Nixa beat Ozark in volleyball, Matt Damon was trying to grow potatoes on Mars.
Ozark’s impressive three-year run of victories over its Highway 14 rival — eight in a row — came to a sudden end Tuesday night, as Nixa added yet another signature win to an already impressive season.
The Lady Eagles were able to end the match after only two sets; however, it was anything but a routine victory.
While Nixa rolled to a 25-14 victory in the first set, Ozark came storming back in the second.
Trailing most of the way, the Lady Tigers rallied late.
A kill from Hanna Vorhies capped a 3-0 run and gave Ozark a 24-23 set-point advantage.
Losing traction, Nixa needed some big plays to remain alive in the set.
Enter Taylor Golmen.
The 6-foot senior converted a pair of kills to quell Ozark’s run and recapture the match momentum.
Golmen’s first kill was a blast straight down the middle of the Ozark defense to re-tie the score at 24-24.
She followed it up with a picture-perfect dink over a pair of defenders to give Nixa it’s own match-point advantage.
Golmen recalled the quick, mid-air adjustment to drop the ball over the block.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
“I went up, I saw the net and saw that they had a solid block on me,” Golmen said. “I saw they were deep and left back, so I knew that it was open and just kind of put it there.”
Moments later, Lauren Weber sealed the Lady Eagle victory with a kill of her own.
While Nixa head coach Annie Zimmerman praised her team for thwarting the late Ozark rally, she also felt they allowed a dangerous opponent to force the issue for much of the deciding set.
“I felt like we were playing reactive volleyball, not proactive,” Zimmerman said. “We need to put ourselves in a position where we are setting the tempo and controlling the pace of the game, and I don’t think we were doing that as well as we should have.”
That said, Nixa’s set-saving trio of kills couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Taylor didn’t necessarily get as many kills tonight as we are accustomed to her getting,” Zimmerman said. “But she stayed steady. She didn’t let what they were doing defensively affect her mindset, and I was really proud of the way she was able to finish and be court-aware to know where that hole was.”
Weber lead Nixa’s attack with six kills on the evening. Golmen and Jaycee Fixsen each added four.
Despite the loss, Ozark head coach Adeana Brewer was pleased with her team’s effort and continued progress as the regular season enters its final phase.
“I felt like that was a solid 25 points for us,” Brewer said. “We just didn’t execute the little things that we needed to execute, but I’m proud of my team’s effort. We were starting to find a good mix in set two and felt like that was reflective of the progress that we’ve made. It’s just … you can’t start out flat against a team that’s as athletic and as quick as Nixa.”
Cecilia Westfall and Vorhies led Ozark with seven and six kills, respectively.
Both teams hit the road for matches on Thursday, Oct. 3. Nixa (12-2) travels to Joplin, while Ozark (11-7) visits Neosho.
Varsity final: Nixa – 2, Ozark – 0 (25-14, 26-24)
Stat Leaders
Kills: Nixa (Lauren Weber – 6), Ozark (Cecilia Westfall – 7)
Assists: Nixa (Sydney Golden – 17), Ozark (Ellie Schrader – 18)
Digs: Nixa (Lexie Gregory – 10), Ozark (Meredith Avery – 10)
JV final: Nixa – 2, Ozark – 0 (25-16, 25-15)
Frosh final: Nixa – 2, Ozark – 1 (23-25, 25-16, 27-25)
