By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Winona Lady Wildcats are district volleyball champions for the first time in four years.
Winona took down Cabool in three sets, 25-8, 25-17, and 25-17.
“Cabool has a great team, and they can hit the ball,” said Winona head coach Jordan Denning. “Our girls have played Cabool several times, and everyone told us, ‘They’ll eventually get you.’ But we had a mission this year of taking districts. Our team was pumped up, especially with the student section behind them. We had 25 students in the pep club there from Winona, and we greatly appreciate the support.”
Denning said his team stuck to their game plan and executed well. “We are known for having hitters, and in my opinion, we have the best setter in the state in Class 1. She did a great job of getting them the sets and they put the ball away tonight. Cabool has a great team, but tonight our hitters could not be stopped.”
“We’re not great serve receivers, so it is our mission to keep the serve,” added Denning. “We jumped out to a 10-0 lead, I believe, and we rolled behind that serve. That just gets our hitters going and they are ready to pound.”
Cabool held their own in the third game, trailing Winona by just one point midway through the contest. “They are really good athletes and (in the third set) they just stepped up,” said Coach Denning. “We gave too many free balls and tips they could put away.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
Two seniors led Winona to the district championship. “My seniors are workers,” said Coach Denning. “Cloey Asplin is our 5’1” setter, and she has traveled to Springfield for about the past 5 years- and that’s a two-hour drive. So we have to give some credit to Club Three for working with her. That girl is willing to work any time.”
Asplin suffered an injury and was out all summer, and fellow senior Autumn Fitzanko, usually in the role of libero, filled in as the team’s setter. “Cloey returned and now Autumn is back to playing all the way around,” said Denning. “They will do whatever we ask whenever we want to do it and they are so positive and real leaders on the team.”
Junior outside hitter Nevaeh Malawey also earned a milestone, picking up her 1,000th career kill. She had 19 total kills on the night. Bailee Luttrell added 17 kills, Taylor Osborn 6, and Autumn Fitzanko, 4. Cloey Asplin had 41 assists and Taylor Osborn 17 digs.
This is Coach Denning’s second year as Winona’s head coach, and assistant Sarah West previously coached the juniors and seniors at the middle school level.
“Winona is a good ball team,” said Cabool head coach Julia Reaves. “I’m not making excuses for us, but we’re young and start two freshmen. I only have two seniors and the rest are sophomores. Only two of those girls have been in that situation before, and so it’s hard. Winona showed up to play, and we had moments where we were ready to play, but it just kind of hit us.”
Reaves spoke highly of her graduating seniors. “Hailey Shannon is our go-to,” she said. “She can put the ball away. She started as a freshman and played all four years. Alexis, my middle, played three years of varsity. When I started coaching in middle school, they were my first group. They were my babies and I got to see them go out. That was special to me. Last night, they dug things out of girls I couldn’t.”
“We were the three seed and not picked to beat Summersville,” she added. “No one expected us to win 15 games this year. No one expected us to compete for a district championship. I’m so proud of them for this season.”
The Cabool Lady Bulldogs end their season with a 15-19-2 record.
Winona will take on South Iron Thursday, a team they faced earlier in October and topped 3-0.
