College Heights Christian’s volleyball team locked up a share of the Ozark 7 Conference championship with Thursday’s 3-0 win over Wheaton.
The set scores were 25-12, 25-19, 25-18.
The Cougars are tri-champs with Wheaton and Golden City.
Addie Lawrence recorded 18 kills, while Lauren Ukena compiled 21 service points, 14 digs, 12 kills and six aces.
Maddy Colin had 27 assists, while Lindsay Griesemer had 13 digs.
College Heights (15-9-1) is at the McDonald County tournament on Saturday.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — In the final home date on the schedule, Webb City defeated Republic 3-1 on Thursday inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Cardinals defeated the Tigers 25-22, 24-26, 25-17, 25-17.
Webb City senior Kearston Galardo recorded team-highs of 15 kills and 20 digs.
Brenda Lawrence added 11 kills and Kate Brownfield had eight kills. Kenzie Storm had two kills, two aces and four digs.
Kyah Sanborn had 33 assists and nine digs, while Sophia Crane contributed 10 digs.
Brownfield had seven digs and Jenna Noel added six.
Rilynn Finley had 10 kills for Republic, while Payge Plank had 40 assists and Claire Esther had 11 digs.
Winners of three straight, Webb City (18-11-2) ends the regular season on Tuesday with a rivalry matchup at Carthage.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. — In a final tune-up before the conference meet arrives, Joplin’s boys cross country team claimed the large school championship at the Warrensburg Invitational on Thursday.
With five runners in the top 19, the Eagles had a team score of 52. Willard and Hickman tied for second with identical team scores of 77. There were 19 teams in attendance.
Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell was the race’s runner-up with a time of 16:28. Warrensburg’s Drew Belardo was first in 16:21.
Joplin’s Ian Horton (17:07) and Zaben Barnes (17:12) finished ninth and 10th, respectively, while Nicholas Horton took 14th (17:26) and Chance Tindall was 19th (17:45).
Also for the Eagles, Max Russell was 44th, Aidan Koch took 52nd and Grey Edwards was 89th.
In the girls race, Joplin’s Sage Mitchell and Allie Keizer finished 33rd and 34th, respectively. Both recorded a time of 22:41.
Also for the Eagles, Averi Burks finished 45th, Jackaline Triplett was 46th, Meridyth Mai finished 59th, Isabella Cruse took 62nd and Cylee Gilreath was 70th.
Grain Valley (45) and Hickman (127) were the top two teams. Joplin was seventh with a team score of 200.
The Eagles will compete at the Central Ozark Conference Meet on Tuesday in Nixa.
Cross country teams from College Heights Christian and McAuley Catholic competed at the Clever Invitational on Thursday.
In the girls race, College Heights’ Jayli Johnson finished 14th in 22:04.
CHC’s Madi Carson was 78th and McAuley’s Kendall Ramsey finished 81st. Also competing for College Heights were Sophia Moore (93rd) and Stella Moore (108th).
Blue Eye’s Riley Arnold took first in 19:30, while Lamar’s Kiersten Potter finished second in 20:23. Aurora’s Kaci Singer finished fourth in 20:43.
East Newton (55) and Strafford (70) were the top two teams. East Newton was led by Alonna Eytcheson, who finished 13th.
McAuley’s top finisher in the boys race was Michael Parrigon, who finished 32nd in 19 minutes flat.
Also for the Warriors, Phillip Motazedi finished 65th, Armando Alberto was 69th and Drew Zeb was 93rd. Also competing for the Warriors were Kevin Tran (122nd), Kable Reichardt (125th) and Cliff Nolan (126th).
College Heights was led by Caleb Quade’s 39th place finish.
The top two boys teams were Stockton (43) and East Newton (57).
East Newton’s Kelton Sorrell, Gabe Bergen and Chase Sorrell finished fourth, fifth and sixth.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Webb City’s Emalee Lamar belted two home runs as the third-seeded Cardinals rolled with the bats on the way to a 14-1 win over sixth-seeded Hillcrest in five innings in the opening round of the Class 4 District 6 tournament on Wednesday at the Neosho Athletic Complex.
After a scoreless first inning, Webb City (15-12) broke the seal by plating seven runs on five hits and four walks in the second inning before pouring on seven more runs in the third inning on six hits, one walk and a hit-by-pitch to build an insurmountable lead over Hillcrest (5-24) after three innings. The Hornets avoided the shutout with a run in the top of the fifth before the Cardinals ended the game.
“Overall, I was pleased with our offense,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “It took us an inning to get going, but once we found our timing and put the bat on the ball, we were able to score some runs. … The good thing about this team is during any given game or any given at-bat, any one of them is capable of putting the ball in play and making something happen.”
IN THE CIRCLE
Laney Taylor earned the win in the circle after allowing one unearned run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts in five complete innings.
“I thought Laney had a really good outing tonight,” Friend said. “It is always a little more relaxing to be able to pitch with run support, and her team provided her with that tonight. She was able to settle in and have a good outing.”
Sarah Wilkinson took the loss after allowing 14 runs on 13 hits, five walks and four strikeouts in four innings.
GAME ACTION
Webb City took the game’s first lead when Morgan Brannon walked to lead off the second inning before Lamar launched a two-run home run to right-center to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
Webb City added two more runs later in the inning when Payton Hawkins singled through the right side, with a pair of runners in scoring position touching home on the base hit for a 4-0 lead.
The Cardinals pushed the lead to 6-0 two batters later when Kaylyn Gilbert roped a one-hop double off the wall with the bases loaded to score two more runs. Lamar picked up another RBI with a sac fly in her second at-bat of the inning to make the score 7-0.
“About midseason, we were in a little bit of a funk offensively,” Friend said of her team’s offensive output. “These last couple of games, we have been able to string some together. Really, the girls are getting the confidence back in their offense because they do hit the ball and just need the confidence to keep them in each game.”
The Cardinals added insurance in the third, with Shelby Gardner singling home a run before touching the plate on the same play following a three-base error by the Hornets to make the score 9-0. Hannah Wells added an RBI double to right field later in the inning to push the lead to 10-0. Gilbert reached on an infield hit and brought home another run. Lamar highlighted the inning two batters later when she belted her second home run over the wall in right-center, this time a three-run shot, to make the score 14-0.
“Emalee Lamar really stepped up and got herself a couple of home runs, which produced a lot of runs for us tonight,” Friend said. “It’s great to see her bat get hot again.”
Hillcrest added an unearned run on an error in the top of the fifth.
AT THE PLATE
Lamar finished with two home runs, six RBI and two runs scored, while Gilbert added two hits, three RBI and a run scored. Hawkins had two hits, two RBI and scored a run.
UP NEXT
Webb City matches up against second-seeded Willard at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the district semifinals.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Trailing by three runs with two and a half innings in the books, fourth-seeded Neosho rallied and outscored fifth-seeded Branson 5-1 on the way to a 6-5 win on Wednesday in the Class 4 District 6 opening round at the NHS Athletic Complex.
The Pirates (12-15) scored two runs each in the top of the second and third innings to gain a 4-1 advantage before the Wildcats (12-10) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4. Neosho manufactured the go-ahead run in the fourth inning and did the same in the fifth for insurance. Branson made a push at the tie in the top of the seventh before the final out was made.
“We are missing a lot of pieces,” Neosho coach Catie Cummins said. “We are down several players … so we are just trying to piece together some wins to keep our season going. I was really pleased with our girls’ fight today. … We were hitting the ball hard and fortunately they had some misplays in the outfield, which led to us being able to score more runs—so I was pleased with that. I thought our defense looked really sharp. We made a couple of errors but we found a way to work out of it. It doesn’t say pretty or ugly, it just says win. So, I am pleased we are moving on to tomorrow.”
IN THE CIRCLE
Carleigh Kinnaird started for Neosho and took a no-decision after allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits, two walks and a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. Chloe Patterson earned the win in relief after allowing one unearned run on four hits, a walk and two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of relief.
“We had been starting Chloe and bringing Carleigh in relief,” Cummins said. “We felt good about our bats and wanted to change it up to see what we could do. We knew we would get quality work from both of them. … I was really pleased with them.”
Peyton Bonsey took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits, a walk and three strikeouts in six full innings.
GAME ACTION
Neosho took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Lili Graue led off with a double to left-center before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to left by Beclynn Garrett.
Branson rallied in the top of the second inning after Langley Miller led off with a walk before moving to second after a fielder’s choice throwing error with one out. Jerzi Yacko followed with a single to right field to plate Miller and tie the game at 1-1. Bonsey followed with a sac fly to give the Pirates a 2-1 advantage.
Branson added insurance in the top of the third when Ally Dicken walked to lead off the inning before coming around to touch home on a two-run home run to center field by Sierra Dailey two batters later to make the score 4-1.
Neosho found its rhythm at the plate in the bottom of the third inning when Graue led the inning off with a single before Garrett followed with an infield hit. After a sac fly from Kaitlyn Killion cut the lead to 4-2, McKaylie Forrest tripled to left field to drive home a run and make the score 4-3. The Wildcats came all the way back to tie it in the next at-bat when Abbie Carpenter doubled to left to score a run and tie the game at 4-4.
“Just passing the at-bat,” Cummins said of her team’s third inning. “We were hitting her hard, we just had to string some of them together. That is something we haven’t consistently done throughout the year. So, if we are doing it now that is the best time of the year to be clicking and putting those hits together.”
After racking up four hits in the third, Neosho went to manufacturing runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings. The Wildcats took the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Maddie Carpenter led off the inning with a triple to left field before coming around to score on an RBI groundout by Graue.
Killion led off the top of the fifth with a double and ultimately scored on an RBI groundout from Abbie Carpenter to push the lead to 6-4.
“I would have liked to score a couple more than just being up two in the last inning because as you can tell, it’s anybody’s game in the postseason,” Cummins said. “Fortunately, we had enough insurance that we were able to work out of it.”
Branson made it interesting in the top of the seventh after using a single and a walk with one out to put the tying runs on base, with Dailey reaching on a Neosho fielding error in the next at-bat to load the bases. Miller cut the lead to 6-5 with a sac fly to center. Sadie Lampe hit a ground ball to short and reached on a fielding miscue by Garrett, but Garrett recovered nicely and gunned the runner down at home trying to score for the final out, preserving the win and the Wildcats’ season.
AT THE PLATE
Graue had two hits, an RBI and scored two runs to lead Neosho in the batter’s box. Forrest had two hits, an RBI and scored a run, while Carpenter had a hit and drove in two.
Miller had two hits, drove in one and scored a run, while Dailey had a home run, two RBI and scored a run.
UP NEXT
Neosho will take on top-seeded McDonald County in the district semifinals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Astrid Cardenas could barely eat, let alone work on her tennis skills in the weeks leading up to the start of her senior year at Joplin High School.
A returning state-qualifier, Cardenas was unable to train for eight weeks this past summer after an unfortunate accident led to a necessary surgery and a lengthy recovery.
“I got hit in the face with a baseball and it broke my jaw in two places,” Cardenas explained. “The surgery was probably the toughest part. I barely ate because my mouth was wired shut. I wasn’t able to play tennis for two months. It was terrible. I wanted to play so bad. It was really rough.
“I knew my peers were out there playing tennis and I couldn’t be out there,” Cardenas continued. “I was stuck at home. Two months is a long time to not play or train. It’s my senior year and I wanted to do really well this year.”
Cardenas wasn’t the only member of the JHS tennis team hampered by an early-season injury.
Emma Watts was plagued by back problems at the beginning of her junior season.
“It was a problem with my joints,” Watts said. “I had a whole bunch of pinched nerves in my lumbar area. It took me a lot of work to get back to where I could play again. It was very frustrating because I just wanted to start off the season healthy. I did physical therapy and I still do a lot of stretches and exercises.
“I’m close to 100 percent now,” Watts added. “I’ve been focused on getting healthy before districts and state. That’s what was driving me.”
With the team’s top two performers limited by those early-season difficulties, a successful fall campaign wasn’t exactly a given.
But with hard work and dedication, Cardenas and Watts have overcome their respective injuries and put together a stellar season.
The Joplin duo are set to make their second straight appearance at the MSHSAA Girls Tennis Championships.
Ahead of Thursday’s opening round of the state tennis tournament, Cardenas and Watts hold a record of 26-1 in doubles matches.
In a season to remember, the JHS pair captured the No. 1 doubles crown at the Central Ozark Conference tournament for a second straight season and placed second at the district tournament, suffering their lone loss of the fall to a Lee’s Summit West squad that is one of the favorites to win a state title.
Now, Cardenas and Watts are set to begin competition at the Class 3 state tournament on Thursday morning at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
“It’s my senior year and I really want to medal this year,” said Cardenas, who also qualified for state in singles as a sophomore. “Communication and teamwork are the keys to success for us. We have a really good dynamic. And it’s my last tournament ever, so I just want to have fun.”
The Eagles were the Joplin area’s top doubles team for the second straight season.
In 2020, Cardenas and Watts captured a COC championship at No. 1 doubles, took second place at the district tournament and then advanced to the consolation quarterfinals of the state tournament.
After last year’s trip to state, the Eagles are well aware of what to expect this time around.
“It was very exciting for us,” Watts said of competing at last year’s event. “I was just so excited to play doubles with my best friend and I was just excited to get that experience. It opened our eyes. This year, we really want to medal. We know what to expect this year. That’s going to be key for us.”
Last year’s experience left the Eagles wanting more, too.
“If they could finish the season on the medal stand that would be something the coaching staff and the girls would be really proud of,” Joplin coach Jeff Williams said. “It’s a possibility for them.”
In Thursday’s opening round, the Eagles will take on St. Joseph Academy’s Elizabeth Choate and Isabella Hong.
“The goal is to do better than last time,” JHS assistant coach Richard Perry said. “They want to be medalists, and with how they’ve been playing, I think that’s very achievable. They need to be ready for really tough competition. Class 3 is getting tougher every single year.”
Regardless of what happens on the court in Springfield, the Eagles will end the season alongside the state’s best.
That’s something the pair can feel good about, especially considering the early-season injuries both players were forced to overcome.
“Astrid and I have both worked really hard for this,” Watts said. “Now we want to make it as far as we can.”
PURDY, Mo. — College Heights went on the road and made quick work of Purdy with a 3-0 sweep on Tuesday.
The Cougars opened with a 25-12 win before moving into a 2-0 advantage with a 25-15 win in the second set. College Heights finished off the sweep with a 25-8 win in the third game.
Addie Lawrence led CHC with 14 kills, 14 aces and 22 service points. Lindsay Griesemer had seven kills, while Maddy Colin had 22 assists. Lauren Ukena added eight digs and 14 points in service.
College Heights hosts Wheaton on Thursday.
SENECA, Mo. — Seneca and Lamar played to a 1-1 split before the Tigers won the final two games en route to a 25-13, 22-25, 25-17 and 25-20 win over the Indians on Tuesday.
With the loss, Seneca falls to 11-12-2 on the season.
Parker Long had 13 kills, 20 digs and two block assists for Seneca, while Rylee Darnell added 25 assists, four kills and two aces. Ellie Barnes had 11 digs, three kills, an ace, two block assists and a solo block, while Jera Jameson had four kills, two aces and two block assists. Braxton Raulston finished with 12 digs and two block assists.
Seneca is at East Newton on Thursday.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Top-seeded McDonald County started off Class 4 District 6 play with a bang, erupting for nine runs in each of the first two innings on the way to an 18-0 win over eight-seeded Parkview in three innings on Tuesday.
Nevaeh Dodson earned a three-inning no-hit win, striking out eight for McDonald County.
Isabelle Vergarza took the loss after allowing 18 runs, 16 earned, on seven hits and 11 walks.
After the first two batters reached on a walk, Reagan Myrick brought two runs home with a double to give the Mustangs the early advantage. Carlee Cooper added a bases-loaded, three-run double later in the inning to make the score 8-0 before scoring on an RBI single from Myrick, her second run-scoring hit of the inning.
After collecting five walks and two hit-by-pitches in the first, McDonald County walked four more times in the second. Dodson added a two-run double and Mariana Salas had an RBI single. Myrick added a two-run double as well.
Myrick had three hits, three RBI and three runs scored to lead the Mustangs. Cooper had a hit, three RBI and scored three times.
McDonald County plays the winner of fourth-seeded Neosho and fifth-seeded Branson at 6:30 on Thursday.
NIXA, Mo — Sixth-seeded Joplin scored twice in the top of the fifth to break a 2-2 tie before third-seeded Republic rallied for four runs in the sixth inning on the way to a 6-4 win in the Class 5 District 6 opening round on Tuesday.
With the loss, Joplin ends the season with a 16-14 record.
Mara Lakey earned the win after allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits, four walks and three strikeouts over seven innings.
Jill McDaniel took the loss after allowing six runs, two earned, on eight hits, three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the fifth, Maria Loum came around to score on an error to give Joplin a 3-2 lead. Jadyn Pankow followed with a lineout to right field that brought a run home on the sac fly to push the lead to 4-2.
Republic cut the lead to one in the bottom of the sith when Jenna Belcher doubled home a run on a line drive to left. An RBI fielder’s choice in the next at-bat tied the game at 4-all. Following an error on Joplin and a walk, Emi Essary singled to left to plate a pair of runs to give Republic the 6-4 advantage.
Republic takes on second-seeded Ozark at 6:30 on Wednesday in the district semifinals.
NEOSHO, Mo. — Seventh-seeded Carl Junction’s season came to an end on Tuesday when the Bulldogs fell 8-0 to second-seeded Willard in the Class 4 District 6 opening round.
The Tigers (22-7) scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead before adding two runs in each the fourth, fifth and sixth innings en route to the win.
Hannah Burks earned the complete-game win after pitching seven scoreless innings, scattering two hits and striking out 16.
Hannah Cole took the loss after allowing eight runs, four earned, on 12 hits, a walk and two strikeouts in six innings of work for Carl Junction (2-24).
Ryley Ritchey homered on the way to three hits, two RBI and a run scored to lead Willard at the plate. Alyson Miller doubled twice and finished with three hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Hannah Cantrell and Madi Olds picked up the only hits for Carl Junction.
Willard takes on the winner of third-seeded Webb City and sixth-seeded Hillcrest at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the district semifinals.
BRANSON, Mo. — Overcoming a first-set loss, Carthage’s volleyball team earned a 3-1 win at Branson on Tuesday night.
The set scores were 14-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-20.
Three players reached double figures in kills for the Tigers, as Sydnee Dudolski had 18 kills, Abby Holderbaum had 11 and Grace Pickering added 10.
Mia Camarillo chipped in seven kills, while Sophie Shannon had six.
Raven Probert handed out 18 assists for the Tigers, while Olivia Bourgault had a team-high 31 digs.
Dudolski added 19 digs, while Probert and Ava Bourgault added 12 digs apiece.
Carthage (16-12-1) hosts Ozark on Thursday night.
The Tigers, who will be the No. 1 seed for the Class 5 District 12 tournament, end the regular season with a home date against Webb City next Tuesday.
Despite nearly every game being tightly contested, Carl Junction was able to earn a 3-0 sweep of Joplin in a late-season Central Ozark Conference contest inside Kaminsky Gymnasium on Tuesday.
“I thought we struggled tonight,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples said. “We just looked like we were playing in slow motion and that created a lot of errors for ourselves. Somehow, we found a way to dig deep and figured out how to win.”
The Eagles (12-10-5, 1-6 COC) led for much of the first set before the Bulldogs (19-6, 4-2 COC) rallied late on the way to a 27-25 win. Carl Junction started off with a sizable lead to open the second game before Joplin found its rhythm to take the lead midway through. A huge service run swung the momentum in favor of the Bulldogs, who went on to win 25-18. CJ played in front for most of the third set before the Eagles briefly tied it in the middle stages, but the Bulldogs never gave up the lead en route to a 25-21 win to complete the sweep.
“I think we are playing really good volleyball,” Joplin coach Desiree Felker said. “We play good volleyball through the majority of the games. Now we just have to figure out a way to play well all the way through games. … Once we get that taken care of, we are going to be on the other side of these kinds of games.”
Joplin led 21-17 late in the first set on a kill from Allie Lawrence before CJ’s Kylie Scott earned a kill to force a sideout. Scott served up an ace and followed with a kill to cut the Bulldogs’ deficit to 21-20.
Carl Junction’s Maggie Brown earned a block moments later to tie the set at 22-all. A kill from Joplin’s Angelina Schramm forced a sideout and put the Eagles up one before an attack error and block by Karissa Chase put the Bulldogs back front 25-24. Schramm earned another kill, but Chase matched it with a kill of her own to give CJ a 26-25 lead, with the Bulldogs closing the set out on the next point.
“We have talked about playing with confidence and wanting the ball in their hand,” Felker said when asked what the key to taking the next step in close games is for Joplin. “Right now, we are playing careful at times when we need to be all in.”
Scott boosted Carl Junction to a 6-0 lead to start the second game thanks to a long service run that was highlighted by a kill from Destiny Buerge and Brown. Joplin whittled into the lead with multiple kills from Emma Floyd and Schramm before ultimately taking a 12-10 lead on a block from Logan Bruggeman.
The Eagles pushed the lead to 14-12 on a kill from Lawrence before Scott forced a sideout with a kill and went back to the service line to rip off nine straight points, swinging the momentum permanently in favor over the Bulldogs 22-14. Scott had three aces in the run, with Buerge earning a kill and Logan Jones a block.
“I kind of felt like in the first game, we were all serving a little tentative,” Sharples said. “In the second game, (Kylie) really went after it and got on a nice run. She has a great serve when she is on. She can be really effective and was hitting the spots I was giving her well.”
While Carl Junction played in front for much of the final set, the Bulldogs never held a lead greater than four, which came off a kill from Brown to push the lead to 14-10. The Eagles trimmed the lead to 16-15 on a block from Bruggeman and tied it on an attack error before a sideout followed by an ace from Olivia Vediz put CJ back on top 18-16. Joplin tied the set at 19-all on an ace from Lawrence, but a kill from Scott followed by consecutive kills from Buerge put Carl Junction in front 22-19, with Scott ending the match shortly after with a kill.
“These types of wins absolutely prepare us for the postseason,” Sharples said. “They help give you the confidence to come back when you are down and not let that be the end of your game. The further people push us every night the better it is going to make us in the postseason.
STATS
Buerge led Carl Junction with 17 kills, while Scott had nine kills and five aces. Jones finished with 32 assists, six kills, 14 digs and two blocks. Brown had 13 digs, while Vediz added 10 digs.
Schramm and Floyd led Joplin with seven kills each, with Floyd adding three blocks. Kaya Cooper had 11 assists and eight digs, with Paisley Parker finishing with 20 digs and two aces.
UP NEXT
Carl Junction hosts Branson on Thursday, while Joplin hosts Willard.
BOLIVAR, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson suffered a 5-0 setback to Bolivar in a sectional contest of the Class 1 girls state tennis tournament on Monday.
The Cavaliers finished the season with a dual record of 12-2.
At No. 1 doubles, Bolivar’s Josie Douglas and Sophia Vestal defeated Thomas Jefferson’s Allison Ding and Jeanna Jeyaraj 8-3.
McKinley Hedges and Brynley Waters beat TJ’s Kyla Yang and Emalee Ro 8-2 at No. 2 doubles, while Bolivar’s Emma Geurin and Reagan Hunt topped Jessica Joseph and Warda Morsy 8-1 at No. 3 doubles.
The match ended when Bolivar won two singles matches.
Geurin defeated Joseph 6-2, 6-2 and Waters topped Morsy 6-3, 6-1.
In the other matchup, Helias Catholic defeated Mount Vernon 5-2.
In the quarterfinals, Bolivar defeated Helias 5-0 to advance to the semifinals.
CARL JUNCTION DROPS MATCH IN CLASS 2
In Class 2, Grain Valley defeated Carl Junction 5-0 in a quarterfinal contest.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — With the postseason on the horizon, the Webb City Cardinals appear to be hitting their stride at exactly the right time.
In a solid overall performance, Webb City earned a quick 3-0 victory over Neosho on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference volleyball clash inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Cardinals swept the Wildcats 25-12, 25-19, 25-16.
“We played all right and took care of business,” Webb City coach Rhonda Lawrence said. “We were trying a few fun plays that we can do, but we still have to be mentally tough enough not to play around with teams either. We were hitting good, solid balls, making good decisions and finding the holes. Neosho was scrappy and they played up a lot of balls. But that was good for us to play those long rallies. That can only help us in the long run.”
Coming off a second-place showing at the Willard tourney, and with 3-0 wins on both Monday and Tuesday, the Cardinals (17-11-2) have built some momentum with just two regular season dates remaining before the district tournament arrives on Oct. 23.
“This past weekend went really well,” Lawrence said. “We stepped up and started to play the way I think we can. I think we’re on the way up and that’s what you want right now. You want to be at your peak at the end of the season.”
Showing off their depth at the net, Webb City received kills from five different players.
Junior outside hitter Brenda Lawrence led the Cardinals with 18 kills, while senior outside hitter Kearston Galardo added 12 kills.
Sophomore Aubree Lassiter and junior Kate Brownfield contributed four kills apiece, while senior Kenzie Storm added three kills and two blocks.
Junior setter Kyah Sanborn handed out 39 assists and also recorded nine digs.
Sophomore libero Sophia Crane led Webb City with 16 digs. Other leaders in digs were Galardo (7), Lawrence (6), Brownfield (6) and Storm (5).
The Cardinals also served well in the match, as Galardo had five aces and Crane had four.
Webb City was the first team to 15 and to 20 in all three sets.
After a lopsided opening set, the Wildcats stayed within striking distance throughout the second set, as the visitors pulled within two at 19-17.
But the Cardinals had too much firepower at the net, as late kills from Lawrence and Lassiter and an ace from Crane proved key to finishing off the set.
In the third set, Webb City led 18-8 en route to the win.
Neosho coach Jessica Crow, who is in her first year in charge of the Wildcats, noted she was pleased with her team’s effort.
“We’re just working on building a culture and finding our groove as a team,” Crow said. “We’re very young this season. But that’s exciting. The younger girls are gaining a lot of experience. We’re still tweaking some things and some of the girls are in positions they’ve never played before. A lot of girls have stepped up to the plate. And right now, we’re just hoping to get past the first round of districts this year.”
As Crow noted, Neosho has a very young squad this fall. The Wildcats have just two seniors (Lexi Laney and Rylee Amato) and four juniors (Delaynie Kelly, Capri Williams, Karlee Ellick and Meredith Baldwin) on this year’s roster.
Crow previously coached in Arkansas before taking over the reins of the Neosho program. She said the transition has been a smooth one.
“It’s been great and everyone has been supportive,” Crow said.
DISTRICT SEEDS
Webb City is the No. 2 seed for the Class 4 District 12 tournament. The Cardinals meet No. 3 Nevada at 2:30 on Oct. 23 at Carl Junction.
Neosho is the fifth seed in the Class 5 District 12 tourney. The Wildcats take on fourth-seeded Raymore-Peculiar at 6 on Oct. 21 at Joplin.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Both teams return to conference action on Thursday, as Webb City hosts Republic and Neosho hosts a talented Nixa squad.
Carl Junction’s boys and girls cross country teams both captured team championships at the Diamond Invitational on Tuesday.
The Carl Junction boys had 15 points, with Diamond (61) and Liberal (64) taking second and third.
The Bulldogs had five runners finish in the top 10.
Carl Junction’s Collin Emmert took first in 16:20, while Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry was the runner-up in 17:06.
Carl Junction’s duo of Jack Lawson and Brock Feken were third and fourth, respectively, while Aurora Christian’s Edward Clark took fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Sarcoxie’s Dugan Pogue, Aurora Christian’s Diego Zapata, Marionville’s Gabe Whitman and Carl Junction’s Luke Battagler and Caleb Graham.
Diamond’s top finisher was Wesley Roughton, who finished 16th.
Also competing for Thomas Jefferson were Jack Goodhue (31st), Eann Espinoza (35th), Sheraz Anis (37th) and Jasper Abelis (38th).
On the girls side, Carl Junction (10) and Thomas Jefferson (33) were the only two full teams.
Carl Junction runners finished first through fifth.
Hannah Franks was the medalist in 21:10, with Alexis Carpenter, Sadie Burchett, Ally Montez and Delaney Harris rounding out the top five.
The rest of the top 10 featured Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller, Liberal’s Abby Barton, Carl Junction’s duo of Bailey Feken and Riley Briggs and Pierce City’s Lauren Blackburn.
Carl Junction’s Klohe Burk was 11th and Thomas Jefferson’s Macie Shiffered took 12th.
Also competing for the Cavaliers were Mia Grubbs (19th) and Julianne Wachtel (23rd).
The Thomas Jefferson Cavaliers earned a 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-11) win over Bronaugh on Tuesday night.
Thomas Jefferson’s Nico Carlson had nine kills and two blocks, while Alexis Stamps had seven kills and Lannah Grigg had seven kills and two aces.
Mary Nguyen contributed four aces and three kills, while Mayson Solum had 12 assists and four aces.
On Monday, Liberal defeated Thomas Jefferson 3-1 (25-27, 25-22, 25-17, 25-5).
For the Cavaliers, Carlson had nine kills, Solum contributed nine digs and seven assists and Nguyen had seven assists. Yasmina Mokhtar had 12 digs and Grigg chipped in six kills and three blocks.
Thomas Jefferson (12-13-3) travels to Golden City on Thursday.
NIXA, Mo. — Fifth-seeded Carthage knocked off fourth-seeded Kickapoo 5-1 in the quarterfinals of the Class 5 District 6 softball tournament on Monday at Nixa Junior High.
The Tigers (21-13) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals, where they’ll meet No. 1 seed Nixa (21-8) at 4:30.
Carthage took an early lead when Presley Probert delivered a two-run single to left field in the first inning, scoring Mary Grace Richmond and Landry Cochran.
The Chiefs pushed across a single tally in the bottom of the first, but the Tigers added two runs in the fourth on Richmond’s two-run double to left.
Carthage went up 5-1 when Probert homered to right in the fifth.
Probert went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Richmond had two hits and two RBI.
Jensyn Elder was the winning pitcher. She scattered five hits in seven innings while striking out nine.
Kickapoo’s Allison Scott took the loss after allowing four earned runs on eight hits.
The Chiefs end the season at 18-11.
In other action on Monday, Nixa defeated No. 8 Springfield Central 15-0.
CARTHAGE’S BRYANT LEADS LOCAL QUALIFIERS AT CLASS 3 DISTTRICT 3 TOURNAMENT
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Postseason golf kicked off Monday with Carthage, Webb City and Carl Junction all taking part in the Class 3 District 3 tournament at Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course.
The top two teams and top 12 individual golfers not on an advancing team all qualify for the state tournament.
Springfield Catholic (304) finished first and Glendale (363) second as the two teams qualifying for the state tournament, while Willard (389), Carthage (398) and Webb City (398) finished third, fourth and fifth. Carl Junction (464) took seventh as a team.
Carthage senior Hailey Bryant was the top score for individual qualifiers after shooting a 17-over-par 88 to finish in a tie for fifth place and qualify for the state tournament for a fourth straight season.
Webb City’s Laya McAllister shot a 19-over-par 90 to tie for ninth and advance to the state tournament. Sydney French shot 22-over 93 to finish in 13th, while Sophia Coulson carded a 26-over 97 to also qualify for the state tournament for the Cardinals.
The final local qualifier was Carthage’s Ava Lacey, who shot a 29-over 100 to finish in a tie for 20th.
Rounding out the Tigers’ play, Caitlin Derryberry shot a 103 to finish in 25th and Shay Gaddis shot a 107 to finish in 30th place. Aubrianna Fisher placed 38th with a 122.
Webb City’s Jacie Crouch placed 35th with a 118, while Langlee Walker tied for 44th with a 126.
Carl Junction’s Rylee Sprague placed 29th after shooting a 106, while Anna Burch shot a 113 to take 32nd. Olivia Teeter shot a 122 to take 38th place, while Addison Teeter shot a 123 to finish in 41st place. Chloe Mitchell carded a 132 and finished in a tie for 49th.
McDonald County’s Kyla Moore shot a 110 to finish in 31st, and Jolie Stipp shot a 124 to finish in 43rd. Lundyn Trudeau closed with a 130 to finish in 48th, and Kelsie Lilly shot a 151 to place 56th.
The Class 3 state tournament will take place over the course of two days at the Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in New Bloomfield starting on Oct. 18.
NEVADA’S CAMERON IS DISTRICT CHAMP; TIGERS TAKE SECOND AT CLASS 2 DISTRICT 3
CASSVILLE, Mo. — Nevada’s Emree Cameron was the individual medalist and the Tigers were the second place team at the Class 2 District 3 tournament at Cassville Golf Club.
Eldon (410) and Nevada (412) were the top two teams.
A freshman, Cameron carded a 6-over-par 78 to claim the district championship by two strokes over Marshfield’s Marlene Edgeman. It was Cameron’s fifth individual tournament championship this season.
The top 12 individuals not on the qualifying teams advanced to state.
Cassville’s Avery Chappell finished fourth overall with a 90, Monett’s Claire Nation was eighth with a 99 and Seneca’s Britany Adcock took 13th with a 105.
Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg (108) and Katie Pennington (110) were 14th and 15th, while Cassville’s Alyzea Myers finished 16th (111), Seneca’s Madison Babbitt was 17th (112) and Nevada’s Riley Severance tied for 18th (116).
All of the above players will compete at the Class 2 state tournament, which will be held Oct. 18-19 at the Columbia Country Club.
JOPLIN TAKES 8TH IN CLASS 4 DISTRICT 3 TOURNAMENT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — St. Teresa’s Academy and Raymore-Peculiar took first and second as a team in the Class 4 District 3 tournament on Monday to qualify for the state tournament.
Joplin took eighth as a team with a 450.
Sophia Schwartz was the top Eagles golfer with a 34-over 106 to finish in a tie for 27th, while Kenna Haley carded a 39-over 111 to place 35th. Lindsey Belnap scored a 113 to finish in 36th. Chloe Friend finished in 40th after shooting a 120. Drew Yockey scored a 128 to tie for 46th.
The Joplin High School volleyball team defeated Pittsburg 3-0 on Monday in a non-conference clash inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
The Eagles defeated the Purple Dragons 25-16, 25-20, 25-8.
Joplin improved its record to 12-9-5.
Allie Lawrence had 11 kills to lead the Eagles, while Angelina Schramm added nine kills. Bailey Owens contributed six kills, while Abby Edwards had five kills and Emma Floyd added four kills to go with two blocks.
Abby Hembree handed out 17 assists from the setter position, while Kaya Cooper added 14 assists.
Jayla Hunter served six aces, while Lawrence had five. Cooper and Paisley Parker contributed three aces apiece.
Parker had a team-high 11 digs from the libero position. Hunter added four digs and Schramm had three.
Joplin will host Carl Junction (18-6) at 6:30 on Tuesday night in a Central Ozark Conference clash.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City earned a 3-0 victory over McDonald County on Monday in non-conference prep volleyball action inside the Cardinal Dome.
The Cardinals defeated the Mustangs 25-20, 25-13, 25-22.
Kearston Galardo recorded 11 kills to lead Webb City’s balanced attack at the net, while Kenzie Storm added eight kills, three aces and two blocks. Aubree Lassiter added seven kills, while Brenda Lawrence and Kate Brownfield contributed six kills apiece.
Kyah Sanborn handed out 32 assists, had five digs and served two aces, while Sophia Crane had a team-high 10 digs. Jenna Noel added nine digs and Brownfield had eight digs.
McDonald County’s Megan Elwood had six kills and 10 digs, while Abby Wiseman had 17 assists.
Kirklyn Kasischke contributed 14 digs.
Webb City hosts Neosho on Tuesday night. McDonald County travels to Cassville on Tuesday night.
This week’s Missouri Media high school football rankings, as compiled by a 10-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, are posted below.
Joplin is now ranked fifth in Class 6.
Carthage is ranked second in Class 5 and Webb City is now ranked fifth.
Nevada is ranked ninth in Class 4, while McDonald County is receiving votes. In Class 3, Aurora is now ranked 10th.
Lamar is still No. 1 in Class 2.
The Missouri Media panel is made up of Dion Clisso, PrepsKC; Cody Thorn, The Examiner; Dave Kvidahl, STLHighschoolsports.com; Tom Rackers, Jefferson City News-Tribune; Chris Parker, Ozone Sports; Brandon Zenner, The St. Joseph News-Press; J.B. Connoley, KRES radio; Matt King, The Daily Journal; Jason Peake, SOMO-Sports.com; Brian Rosener, Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic.
First-place votes in parenthesis.
CLASS 6
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
Also receiving votes: Marquette (6-1), 3; Liberty (5-2), 2
CLASS 5
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
Also receiving votes: Ladue (6-1), 6
CLASS 4
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
T7. McCluer, 6-1, 31, T7
T7. Vashon, 6-0, 31, T7
Also receiving votes: St. Dominic (4-3), 4; McDonald County (6-1), 3
CLASS 3
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
Dropped out: No. 9 Mexico, No. 10 Cardinal Ritter
Also receiving votes: Kennett (6-1), 3; Cardinal Ritter (3-4), 2; Mexico (5-2), 1
CLASS 2
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
T6. Lafayette County, 6-1, 48, T6
T6. Lutheran St. Charles, 5-2, 48, T6
T8. Duchesne, 5-2, 26, 8
T8. Richmond, 6-1, 26, 9
Also receiving votes: New Madrid County Central (6-1), 1
CLASS 1
Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW
Dropped out: No. 10 Skyline, No. 8 Thayer
Also receiving votes: Skyline (5-2), 16; Thayer (5-2), 14; Fayette (6-1), 3
Experienced sports journalists providing great local sports coverage in Southwest Missouri.