Roundup: Central answers West County service streak
PARK HILLS – With her team suddenly appearing helpless and mired in a quandary, Central volleyball head coach Tracie Casey refused to offer the usual lifeline of calling a timeout.
The Lady Rebels were forced to figure their way out of trouble as West County junior Makenzie Simily calmly served a 12-0 scoring run during the second set Monday night.
Passes and sets were not putting hitters in favorable positions until Liberty Coleman tipped neatly past two blockers with her club trailing 15-9.
Kaley Kimball joined Coleman on the front row, and the sophomores became catalysts in an immediate comeback with two kills each from the left side and middle positions.
Senior Hannah Stewart added an ace while rattling off nine straight service points, and later landed a diagonal spike to present match point as Central prevailed 25-13, 25-19.
Coleman finished with seven kills, and Kimball recorded five kills plus three blocks. Avery Norris dished out 12 assists despite a struggling sequence in game two, and Stewart added seven more.
Central (10-4-2) jumped ahead 7-2 with a one-set advantage after Lizi Marler served an ace and West County (9-4-1) dropped four of six points on attacking errors.
The Lady Bulldogs executed much better during their response. Dori McRaven knocked down two left-side swings, and Jordan Stevens guided a two-handed push down a vacated line.
Simily gave the visitors an 11-9 edge with her first of two aces, and remained at the back line for four more points. She also had three kills and five digs in the contest.
Central sealed the victory after Norris spiked off a back row defender to increase a 22-19 lead, and Buckli Moss stopped an incoming spike to start a successful transition to Stewart.
Moss provided eight digs, and Callie Thurston picked up six more while putting down three kills for the Lady Rebels, who used kills from five different players to establish an 11-4 start to game one.
Thurston served a 7-0 string that snapped a 4-4 tie, and Coleman ripped three kills on middle sets from Norris late in the stanza before combining with Marler on a successful block.
McRaven collected five kills while Stevens and Allee Drennen added three apiece for West County. Kylie Newhouse notched seven assists within a committee of setters.
Cheyenne Young made three blocks, and Ivy Meinershagen supplied eight digs at libero. Haylee Watson and Kaitlin Spivey chipped in four digs each.
Potosi 2, Steelville 0
STEELVILLE, Mo. – Potosi avenged a previous straight-set tournament defeat to Steelville by sweeping the host Lady Cardinals 25-16, 25-22 in a rematch on Monday.
Freshman outside hitter Carley Hampton had a strong performance with team highs of 10 kills and six digs, while Hailey Jennings knocked down five more kills for the Lady Trojans (7-7).
Cameryn Yount totaled 10 assists, Olivia Marsa compiled eight serve receptions, and Olivia Coleman had four kills with four digs in the win.
Jessi Nicholson served three aces and dished out eight assists.
Ste. Genevieve 2, St. Vincent 0
PERRYVILLE, Mo. – Jennifer Humbolt spiked 10 kills and served two aces as Ste. Genevieve rolled through St. Vincent for a 25-17, 25-16 triumph.
Sophomore Marysa Flieg provided five blocks, and Molly Bahr totaled 10 assists and Brittney Kreitler distributed nine more for the Dragons (9-6-4).
Ste. Genevieve was further lifted by five kills and three blocks each from Sydney Bumgardaner and Julia McKlin. Ella Reed chipped in two aces.
Farmington 2, Poplar Bluff 0
FARMINGTON – Jesse Miller compiled 10 kills, six assists and five digs to help Farmington earn another decisive win over a possible district opponent.
Blair Busenbark amassed 14 service points and seven digs, both team highs, as the Knights routed visiting Poplar Bluff 25-16, 25-10.
Macey Pauls knocked down five kills, and Sarah Bauer contributed 11 assists with five digs for Farmington (17-4-1).
Crystal City 2, Kingston 1
CADET – Crystal City pulled away during the third set, and rallied from one game down past Kingston 23-25, 25-22, 25-17 on the road.
Makenzey Boyer posted nine kills and 19 digs, and Sierra Pinson made 16 digs while service three of her 13 points for aces to pace Kingston (2-9).
Keely Reyes finished with 16 assists plus five digs. Jade Coleman totaled 15 digs and Chloe McCoy brought up 13 for the Lady Cougars.
SOFTBALL
Farmington 3, Windsor 1
IMPERIAL, Mo. – Abby Robbins carried a shutout into the sixth inning, and was backed by solid defense on Monday as the Farmington softball team edged Windsor 3-1.
Jocelyn Cunningham finished 2-for-3, and opened the scoring with an RBI single after Sophia White led off the second inning with a triple.
Sloane Elam was hit by pitch with the bases loaded later in the frame, and the 2-0 advantage remained protected by Robbins, who allowed seven hits and no walks while notching 10 strikeouts.
Robbins was 2-for-3 at the plate, and extended the lead with an RBI single after Cunningham got aboard in the top of the sixth.
Windsor scored on a solo home run during the home half.
Allyson Helms added a single for Farmington (6-6), which plays Jefferson on Wednesday amid a stretch of five consecutive scheduled road games.
TENNIS
Cape Central 6, Farmington 3
FARMINGTON – Four close matches went in favor of the visitors on Monday as Cape Central handed the Farmington girls tennis team a 6-3 setback.
Haley Brazel earned a doubles win alongside Emily Webb in a tiebreaker before moving on to an 8-6 victory in No. 6 singles action.
Jordan Maxton, Anita Kellum and Maria Seidu-Sofo also prevailed among the singles ranks for Cape Central, which also claimed the No. 2 doubles tilt by an 8-6 margin.
Mary Kate Burcham collected two wins for Farmington (9-2), including an 8-4 decision while pairing with Abby Jent in doubles play.
Baylee Gilliam scored an 8-5 win over Archna Sobti.
Singles Results:
1. Jordan Maxton (CC) def. Abby Jent, 8-1
2. Mary Kate Burcham (FA) def. Emily Webb, 8-2
3. Anita Kellum (CC) def. Virginia Lugo, 9-7
4. Maria Seidu-Sofo (CC) def. Bekah Kimpel 8-3
5. Baylee Gilliam (FA) def. Archna Sobti, 8-3
6. Haley Brazel (CC) def. Susan Rippee, 8-6
Doubles Results:
1. Jent/Burcham (FA) def. Maxton/Seidu-Sofo, 8-4
2. Kellum/Sobti (CC) def. Lugo/Kimpel, 8-6
3. Webb/Brazel (CC) def. Gilliam/Rippee, 9-8 (7-4)
GIRLS GOLF
Notre Dame 211, Ste. Genevieve 221
STE. GENEVIEVE – Notre Dame traveled north and claimed a 10-shot victory over the host Dragons as Ste. Genevieve Country Club.
Bella Burton shot 52 for Ste. Genevieve (0-3) in the 221-211 loss to share medalist honors.
Central junior Buckli Moss stretches to make a successful reaching dig in game one action against West County on Monday night.
Central sophomore Kaley Kimball squeezes a middle attack between West County blocker Dori McRaven and the net for a kill during the first set on Monday night.
West County senior defensive specialist Haylee Watson guides an overhead pass during game two action against Central on Monday night.
Matt King is the sports editor for the Daily Journal. Contact him at mking@dailyjournalonine.com
