JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Webb City took the opening set and the third set only to see Jefferson City rally to even things up each time and send the Class 4 state quarterfinal match to an all-deciding fifth set, where the Jays took early control and held off the Cardinals for a 19-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-23 and 15-13 win on Saturday.
With the win, Jeff City improves to 24-9 and plays the winner of St. Pius X and Parkway West.
The loss ends Webb City’s season with a 27-7 record. The Cardinals graduate seniors Sophia Crane, Aubree Lassiter, Makayla Mayes, Khloe Rhuems and Jadyn Catterson.
THE FINAL SET
Jeff City scored the first four points of the fifth set to take the momentum before Webb City used a kill from Jaeli Rutledge, an error on the Jays and an ace from Kirra Long to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Jays and Cardinals traded to an 8-6 score before Jeff City ultimately went up 11-7.
Webb City rallied with a sideout kill from Long before Savannah Crane scored four straight points in service with kills coming from Lassiter and Mia Lenker to give the Cardinals a 12-11 lead.
Jeff City scored four of the final five points to rally back and advance to the Final Four.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
The Cardinals took command of the first set thanks to an early four-point run in service by Crane, which featured an ace and kills from Long and Lassiter, to lead 12-8. Back to back kills from Rutledge and Long later pushed the lead to 15-11 and another kills from Mayes later in the set pushed the advantage to 19-14. Long earned a block in front of a Lenker kill to make the score 22-17. Rutledge earned a kill later to make the score 24-18 and Long finished off the set moments later with a kill.
The Jays led 7-4 in the second set before Webb City used a block from Lassiter to side out before a four-point service run from Sophia Crane that included an ace and kills from Long and Lassiter propelled the Cardinals in front 9-7. Later, Webb City scored five of six points for a 17-14 lead.
After a kill from Mayes made the score 18-16, Jeff City scored four straight to lead 20-18 before Webb City answered with three straight points to regain the lead 21-20. The Cardinals held leads of 22-21, 23-22 and 25-24 before Jeff City scored the final three points to win the second set.
The third set was back and forth nearly the entire way until Webb City took the lead the final time on a three-point service run by Lenker that included a block by Rutledge for an 18-15 advantage.
After two points from the Jays, the Cardinals scored five of the next six points to lead 23-18 with a kill from Savannah Crane starting the surge off. Webb City put the third set away shortly after on two kills from Lassiter.
Webb City took the lead midway through the fourth 12-10 fueled by a pair of kills from Rutledge before Jeff City rallied with four straight points to regain the lead later at 15-13.
Webb City trailed 19-16 before a sideout followed by a kill from Long and an error on the Jays tied the game at 19s.
That game saw ties at 20, 21, 22 and 23-all, but the Jays scored the final two points to force a fifth set.
STATS
Rutledge had 17 kills and two blocks to lead Webb City, while Lassiter finished with 12 kills, three digs and a block. Long had 10 kills and five digs, while Savannah Crane had 36 assists and 14 digs to go along with five kills. Sophia Crane finished with 42 digs and three assists.
