CASSVILLE, Mo. — Mount Vernon and Cassville were the qualifying teams and Monett and Lamar had individual state qualifiers at the Class 2 District 3 golf tournament on Monday at the Cassville Golf Club.
Mount Vernon turned in a score of 395 and Cassville had a 406. Both schools will have full squads competing at the state tournament.
New Covenant’s Savannah Thessing was the district champion with a 6-over-par 78 and Cassville’s Avery Chappell was the runner-up with an 83.
Monett’s Katie Geiss finished third with an 85 and Mount Vernon’s Madison Phillips took fourth with an 88.
Mount Vernon’s duo of Kenadi Killingsworth (93) and Emily Schubert (98) were eighth and ninth.
Lamar had two individual qualifiers, as Victoria O’Neal finished 12th with a 100 and teammate Zavrie Wiss finished 17th (105). Wiss was the final individual qualifier.
Cassville’s Madison Robertshaw, Gracie Harmon and Adelee Hendricks were 18th, 19th and 20th.
Also competing for Mount Vernon were Courtnee Bishop (25th) and Autumn Thomas (30th).
Seneca’s top performer was Madison Collinsworth (118).
The Class 2 state golf tournament will be held on Oct. 16-17 at Joplin’s Twin Hills Golf and Country Club.
WEBB CITY, Mo. — Webb City defeated McDonald County 25-12, 25-7, 25-15 on Monday night in a non-conference prep volleyball clash inside the Cardinal Dome.
Aubree Lassiter led the Cardinals with nine kills, while Jaeli Rutledge added eight kills and Makayla Mayes had seven kills.
Savannah Crane recorded 18 assists from the setter position, while Sophia Crane had a team-high 10 digs. Avery Gardner added eight digs and Kirra Long contributed seven digs.
Mia Lenker served six aces, while Khloe Rhuems and Lassiter added two aces apiece.
Webb City (24-5, 4-3 COC) hosts Ozark (22-3, 7-0 COC) on Tuesday night.
McDonald County is at Cassville on Tuesday.
DIAMOND 3, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 0
College Heights found itself on the wrong end of a sweep, falling to Diamond 25-19, 25-16, 25-16 on Monday.
No other information was made available at the time of publication.
College Heights falls to 12-10-3 and is at Purdy on Tuesday.
Diamond improves to 24-4-1 and is at Marionville on Thursday.
LIBERAL 3, THOMAS JEFFERSON 0
LIBERAL, Mo. — Liberal hosted Thomas Jefferson and swept the Cavaliers by the score of 25-19, 25-17, 30-28.
No other information was made available at the time of publication.
Thomas Jefferson falls to 20-7 and hosts Bronaugh on Tuesday.
The Joplin High School boys soccer team suffered a 4-2 setback to visiting Springfield Catholic on Monday night.
Joplin’s goals were scored by Andy Cordova and Ely Montanez.
Cordova’s goal, which was assisted by Ever Blanco, came in the seventh minute. Montanez scored in the 70th minute, and the goal was assisted by Cordova.
Scoring goals for Catholic were Matthew Gerety, Tyler Holum, Rian Mulherin and Erick Fuentes.
Gerety converted a penalty kick in the ninth minute before Holum’s goal in the 16th minute gave the Irish a 2-1 lead.
Mulherin scored in the 48th minute and Fuentes’ goal came in the 59th minute.
Joplin took 13 shots, with nine on goal. Catholic managed 10 shots, eight on goal.
Joplin goalkeeper Brayden Anderson was credited with four saves, while Catholic’s Caden Hillwick made seven saves.
In its final home match of the season, Joplin volleyball sent its seniors off on a high note after disposing of Pittsburg 25-13, 25-11 and 25-21 on Monday inside Kaminsky Gymnasium.
Joplin senior Bailey Owens earns a kill during the Eagles win over Pittsburg on Senior Night on Monday. Photo by Israel Perez.
“This night was so great and it was exactly what we wanted,” Joplin coach Staci Saunders said after the win. “It was a total team effort. Everyone contributed and it took everybody on our team to get this win. I think it left (our seniors) with a good feeling in their hearts. And that is what high school sports are about—making memories. I feel like this will be a core memory for them.”
The Eagles held Senior Night ceremonies for DS Abigail Eckert, OH/RS Janiah Vaughn, OH/RS Bailey Owens, DS Avery Bermudez and OH/RS Raelin Calderon.
“We wanted it to be a very special night for them because they have had to overcome some adversity this season,” Saunders said. “They really are the nicest kids and a great group of seniors. They are the perfect examples of what great humans should be for our underclassmen, what a great student-athlete should be for our underclassmen and what great leaders should be for underclassmen. Tonight was just a celebration for them for stepping up and being leaders for our team and they deserved it.”
Joplin opened the first set as the aggressor, and played relatively clean for the first 15 points. The Eagles didn’t allow the Purple Dragons to score more than two points consecutively until Pittsburg’s final serve in the match, with the game all but decided at that point.
Joplin senior Janiah Vaughn swings for a kill during the Eagles win on Monday. Photo by Israel Perez.
“I think our serving was effective,” Saunders said. “We were moving well and blocking well, forcing them to make adjustments. The girls were all fired up to play, making really good decisions. It made for a really great first set.”
The Eagles led 5-3 early in the opening set before DS Lucy Erisman scored eight straight points in service to build a 13-3 advantage for Joplin. Owens had three kills and a block in the run.
“When we get her going, we are going to do good things,” Saunders said of Owens’ play early. “She is a highly-skilled player who always finds the way to get the job done. What I love about her is she is never up or never down. … She stays steady and is the calm and confidence our team needs.”
JHS built the lead to 19-5 later in the set after a kill from Owens and a three-point service run from Bermudez that included an ace and a kill by MB Amy Kessler.
Joplin led 24-9 on a kill from Vaughn before a sideout and Pittsburg’s first three-point run in service trimmed the margin to 24-13. Owens closed the set with a kill.
Early in the second set, the Eagles used two kills from Owens, two kills from Kessler and a block by MB/RS Aiyana Kroll to build a 9-5 advantage.
Joplin took control for good after scoring 10 of the next 11 points moments later to push the advantage to 19-8.
Joplin senior Raelin Calderon finishes a kill in the Senior Night win over Pittsburg on Monday. Photo by Israel Perez.
“Our goal as a team is to get in-a-row points with our serve,” Saunders said. “We have to get in-a-row points to jump ahead because it gives us a chance in the end.”
Setter Adalynn Noirfalise and Vaughn each had four-point runs in service during that span. Calderon had two kills during the run, while Owens and Kroll each had blocks.
The Eagles held the pace and used kills from Kessler and Vaughn to finish off the set with the sweep in sight.
Joplin faced its first sense of adversity in the final set. The Dragons and Eagles battled to a 12-10 score, with JHS in front, after an ace from Alycia Cosens and a block by Onna Jorge.
The Eagles responded by scoring eight of the next 10 points to take control late onto the sweep.
“They just played with confidence,” Saunders said of her team’s ability to finish off the sweep. “I feel like our seniors really stepped up and gave the rest of the team confidence. They never got down and knew they could do it.”
Owens finished with 11 kills, six digs, three blocks and two aces, while Vaughn had seven kills, five digs, a block and two aces. Noirfalise had 25 assists, nine digs, three aces and a block, while Calderon had six kills and a dig. Kessler closed with four kills and two blocks, while Kroll had three blocks and a dig.
Joplin (5-15-1) is at Neosho on Tuesday and at Nixa on Thursday before taking part in the Ozark Grand Slam Fest tournament over the weekend to close out the regular season.
Joplin senor Lucy Erisman passes the ball during the Eagles’ win over Pittsburg on Monday. Photo by Israel Perez.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — In the regular season finale, Kickapoo held off Webb City 4-2 on Monday.
Kickapoo led 3-0 when the Cardinals scored twice in the fourth. The Chiefs added an insurance run in the sixth for the final margin.
Kickapoo’s Allison Scott earned the pitching victory after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out six in seven innings.
Recording one hit apiece for the Cardinals were Dawsyn Decker, Alex Maturino, Jensyn Pickett and Lily Hall.
Hall hit a two-run double in the fourth inning.
Addie Burns took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings. Makenzie Wynn pitched three innings, giving up one run on two hits and striking out three.
Webb City (24-11) meets Raytown at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the opener of the Class 4 District 7 tournament in Nevada.
For the first time in program history, the Thomas Jefferson Independent School girls tennis team is headed to the Final Four.
Thomas Jefferson earned a convincing 5-0 victory over Platte County on Monday afternoon in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 2 state tournament.
The win advances the Cavaliers to the semifinals on Oct. 20 in Springfield.
“One of our goals was to get to the Final Four and then see what happens once we’re there,” Thomas Jefferson coach Tom Brumfield said. “So, this is awesome. I’m excited and I’m just proud of the girls. When we got moved up to Class 2 we didn’t know what we were getting into. I felt like we had a good team, but it was new territory for us once we got into the district tournament. And we had a tough district. You don’t have this kind of an opportunity too often. It tickles me that all of the girls are going to get to have the state finals experience.”
Thomas Jefferson senior Allison Ding hits a forehand winner during Monday’s quarterfinal match against Platte County. The Cavaliers won the match 5-0. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
It was the second straight historic win for the program, as Thomas Jefferson secured its first-ever Class 2 district championship last week.
Now, a berth in the state semifinals awaits.
“I’m really excited,” Thomas Jefferson senior Allison Ding said. “My internals are about to implode. That’s how I’d describe how I’m feeling right now. We’ve gotten close several times before, and this year, we finally did it. I knew we had a good team, so I knew it was possible. I was really hoping we’d make it this year. I envisioned it in my brain so many times, so now that it’s here, it’s unreal.”
With Monday’s victory, the Cavaliers are guaranteed of bringing home a state trophy.
“That’s a big deal, especially in Class 2,” Brumfield said. “It’s our first time making it to the semifinals for the girls program, and we did it in Class 2, so that’s a nice bonus.”
Playing on their home courts on a sunny afternoon, the Cavaliers started off the dual on a positive note by winning all three doubles matches.
At No. 1 doubles, TJ’s Ding and Jeanna Jeyaraj edged Addison Mayne-Olivia Holbrook 9-7.
The TJ duo of Esther Yang and Kyla Yang defeated Maggie McBratney-Lily Fish 8-0 at No. 2 doubles, while Thomas Jefferson’s Warda Morsy and Mayson Solum topped Delaney Bachmann-Lucy McClain 8-3.
Brumfield noted it’s always crucial to have the advantage after doubles play.
“Doubles went great,” Brumfield said. “Our No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams have been really strong for us all season. Our No. 1 doubles team has struggled a little bit at times this season. But we know we have two good players at No. 1 doubles. They put it together last week and they put it together today. They stepped up when it mattered most.”
The first to five wins dual match ended when the Cavaliers earned two singles victories.
In completed singles matches, Thomas Jefferson’s Solum defeated Bachmann 6-0, 6-2, and Kyla Yang beat McClain 6-1, 6-0.
Also of note, Ding was leading Mayne 6-0, 4-1, and Morsy was beating Fish 6-1, 5-0 when the match was halted.
Thomas Jefferson’s Jeanna Jeyaraj is pictured during Monday’s Class 2 quarterfinal match against Platte County. Photo by Jessica Greninger.
The Cavaliers are now 14-0 in dual matches this fall.
Brumfield noted his student-athletes put in a lot of extra work over the summer in preparation for the season.
Now, that hard work has paid off.
“All of them have been playing a lot of tennis together, and all that extra work pays off,” Brumfield said. “They all have good attitudes. We’ve talked about the mental aspects of the game all season…dealing with pressure and things like that. But the effort and the time they’ve put in has been a big key to success…no doubt.”
The undefeated Cavaliers will meet Grain Valley (23-2) in the semifinals at 9 a.m. on Oct. 20 at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield. Grain Valley defeated Springfield Catholic 5-1.
“We just have to go out and play and not worry about who we’re playing,” Brumfield said. “I want them to play hard, play their best and enjoy the moment.”
DING FINISHING CAREER AT STATE
A senior standout, Ding will compete at the individual state singles tournament on Thursday in Springfield.
“I just want to go out there, have fun and play good tennis,” said Ding, a returning state medalist who finished eighth in singles as a junior and seventh as a sophomore.
Following the individual state tourney, Ding will conclude her prep tennis career alongside her teammates at the team state tournament.
“All of us are tight knit, we hang out a lot,” Ding said of the Cavaliers. “And we play tennis all the time. We’re just really connected. We’re like a close family. And at state, we’re all going to do our best.”
The Thomas Jefferson girls tennis team poses after winning its Class 2 state quarterfinal match against Platte County on Monday afternoon. Photo by Jason Peake.
