By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There’s a lot of fight in the hearts of the Ozark Lady Tigers volleyball team.
And now there’s a long-awaited district championship to go with that relentless spirit.
Ozark earned the Class 5 District 6 championship on Monday night in a hard-fought 3-1 win (29-27, 23-25, 25-23, 32-30) over rival Nixa at Willard High School.
The victory marks the first district title in six years for one of the area’s most storied volleyball programs.
“We’ve been chasing this since 2018,” said Ozark coach Adeana Brewer. “They just locked in and were determined to find a way. Just a great job by them. I’m so proud of these ladies.”
Every district championship is special, but this title carries extra meaning for the Lady Tigers.
All season long, Ozark vowed to “fight like Josie” in honor of former teammate Josie Orellana, who died last school year following complications from cancer treatment.
“It’s very exciting knowing that we got to fight and earn this with her. Not physically here, but here with us spiritually,” said Ozark senior libero Macy Humble.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
This season, Ozark has worn purple warm-up shirts and jerseys to honor No. 35.
“She’s been in our hearts in everything that we’ve done,” Brewer said. “Each week has been a character trait that Josie played with: strong, resilient, confident, competitor. We’ve just been reminding ourselves each week that we’re going to put out those characteristics in ourselves, for Josie.”
What Ozark and Nixa put on the floor Monday night was one of the most thrilling, back-and-forth volleyball matches anyone could ask for.
The first set went to the high 20s after Nixa rallied from a 23-16 deficit. The Lady Eagles even led 27-26 at one point.
Ozark had a similar lead in the second set (21-15), before another Nixa rally ensued. This time, the Lady Eagles finished the comeback.
In the third set, it was Ozark’s turn for a rally. The Lady Tigers flipped an 18-15 deficit into a 25-23 set victory behind the swings of leading attackers Tara Venable and Skylar Hilton.
“We learned how to handle and overcome pressure tonight. We learned from the bad stuff,” Humble said. “It was close. Nixa was up, but we found a way to come back and fight.
“It was stressful, I’m not going to lie. But I knew we had it in us.”
The first three frames set the stage for an even wilder finish.
Nixa led 24-21, about to force a decisive fifth set, before an Ozark spurt tied it.
The Lady Tigers took the lead, lost it, then re-took it – multiple times. Finally, on match point No. 6, Ozark clinched the victory and stormed mid-court in celebration.
“That was a new experience for us to play into the 30s and just being so close to (match) point, then down a set point, then back up to match point again a few times,” Brewer said. “The kids just had a really gritty mindset, and it was an unbelievable competition between two great teams.”
Ozark will host the District 5 winner – Blue Springs (19-15 overall) or Blue Springs South (12-22 overall) – in the state quarterfinal round this Saturday, Nov. 2.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE MATCH
With a win, Ozark and its seven-player senior class would advance to the final four in Cape Girardeau for the first time since 2017.
That goal – making the final four – has been written on the team’s whiteboard in the locker room since the start of the season.
“I’m just glad that we got to finish on a really high note and now we have a chance to go to state,” Humble said. “It’s great to be on a team that hasn’t (achieved) something like this in a long time.”
Nixa finishes with a 32-4 overall record, marking its most wins since the 2020 Class 5 state runner-up team. The Lady Eagles graduate two seniors: outside hitter Amelia White and middle hitter Chloe Judd.
