By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
NIXA – Ozark captured its first district championship since 2017 and the program’s very first Class 3 district title by upsetting Nixa 5-4 in the Class 3 District 5 final Wednesday.
“We’re back,” said Claire Rutledge, the Lady Tigers’ No. 2 singles player. “It’s taken a while, but here we are. It’s possible. The underdogs can do it, too.”
No. 3 seed Ozark (18-5) absolutely embraced the underdog role. The Lady Tigers avenged a 7-2 loss two weeks ago to No. 1 seed Nixa (12-2). Ozark beat No. 2 seed Kickapoo (9-8) in the semifinal round 5-3 Tuesday, after losing to the Lady Chiefs twice in regular-season play.
“We knew we had nothing to lose,” Ozark No. 5 singles player Ella Scott said. “If we put it all out on the line, we knew we had a good chance of beating them. It’s so rewarding and feels so good to finally win.”
Going back to 2020, Nixa had won eight straight matches against Ozark.
Both the Lady Tigers and Lady Eagles made the jump from Class 2 to Class 3 in 2020.
This was the first time Ozark and Nixa met for a District championship since 2014, when the Lady Tigers also prevailed by a 5-4 count.
Nixa took two of the three doubles matches, before the Lady Tigers rallied to win four of the six singles matches.
Ozark outlasted Nixa by sweeping the three singles matches that were extended to a tiebreaker.
Rutledge won at No. 2 singles 4-6, 6-4 (14-12) over Paige Morris. Scott won at No. 5 singles 6-2, 6-7 (7-4) over Adleigh Murfee. Madison Shelton won at No. 6 singles 6-2, 6-7 (7-3) over Hannah Schiman.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
Rutledge fought off a match point, while Morris fought off two match points, before Rutledge finally won their tiebreaker.
It all came down to the No. 4 singles match between Ozark’s Shelby Middleton and Nixa’s Lillian Lee. Middleton pulled out a 6-4, 7-5 triumph and the Lady Tigers’ celebration began.
“I told myself, ‘Do what you practice, follow through on all of your shots, go up and volley when you can and be aggressive at the net,’” Middleton said.
Scott won twice for Ozark. She teamed with Morgan Sutton for an 8-2 victory versus Lee and Murfee.
Nixa received singles and doubles victories from Peterson and Jocelyn Cosgrove.
Peterson was overpowering at No. 1 singles, beating Olivia Carpenter 6-1, 6-2 and teamed with Morris for an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles against Carpenter and Diana Bonilla. Cosgrove swept her No. 3 singles match 6-1, 6-4 over Diana Bonilla and teamed with Hannah Schiman for a 9-8 (7-2) win at No. 2 doubles against Rutledge and Middleton.
Ozark advances to the quarterfinal round and will meet Kansas City North (16-2) on Monday.
Ozark 5, Nixa 4
Singles
No. 1 – Emily Peterson (N) 6-1, 6-2 over Olivia Carpenter (O); No. 2 – Claire Rutledge (O) 4-6, 6-4, (14-12) over Paige Morris (N); No. 3 – Jocelyn Cosgrove (N) 6-1, 6-4 over Diana Bonilla (O) 6-1, 6-4; No. 4 – Shelby Middleton (O) 6-4, 7-5 over Lillian Lee (N); No.5 – Ella Scott (O) 6-2, 6-7 (7-4) over Adleigh Murfee (N); No. 6 – Madison Shelton (O) 6-2, 6-7 (7-3) over Hannah Schiman (N).
Doubles
No. 1 – Peterson and Morris (N) 8-0 over Carpenter and Bonilla (O); No. 2 – Cosgrove and Schiman (N) 9-8 (7-2); No. 3 – Scott and Morgan Sutton (O) 8-2 over Lee and Murphy.
