By Chris Parker & Danielle King
Logan-Rogersville volleyball came to play in their Class 3 state semifinal match against Eldon on Thursday.
“Our energy is our biggest thing. Whenever we decide that we want to act a certain way, we are very hard to play against,” Logan-Rogersville head coach Logan Beach said. “I was just telling them to lean into all the stuff that they have been able to trust all year.”
That energy was evident from the outset on the way to a 3-0 sweep of Eldon.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set and never looked back on the way to a 25-15 win. The second set looked much the same with a 5-0 start leading to a 25-10 lead.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
In the third set, Eldon came out battling.
“We are the same way when we play anybody. If we get into a third set with somebody after losing the first two, we are just back against the wall and fighting for our life. That is exactly how they were,” Beach said.
Eldon took its first lead of the match 1-0 off the top. The game was tight throughout with nine ties through the first 15 points. Eldon threw down a quick 2-0 spurt to earn its largest lead of the match at 17-15. Beach called a timeout to regroup his players.
“I just said that we have to trust it what we have been doing,” Beach said. “Keep fighting through. Let adversity come to them. Right now, it is on their side, but we are going to get it back to us and they are going to have to fight through us.”
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE MATCH
The Wildcats put the heat on Eldon with a 4-1 run to take a 19-18 lead. Logan-Rogersville made its final move with the match tied at 20-20 to close the set on a 5-1 run and claim the match 3-0.
Addie Goff had a match-high 14 kills for Logan-Rogersville. Kamryn Marshall handed out 23 assists. Taylor Wray (18), Goff (10) and Addy Hammond (10) all had double-digit digs. The Wildcats went big with their serves with nine aces and eight service errors in the match. The defense was strong with no errors on serve receptions.
Logan-Rogersville advances to a state championship match for the first time since 2021 when the Wildcats placed second. Overall, it is the sixth title game appearance for the program. They will look to win the program’s second state title and first since 2018.
Logan-Rogersville (21-15-2) faces Potosi (26-9-1) at 12 pm on Friday in Cape Girardeau.
