October 9, 2015
Dexter, Woodland advance to SCAA volleyball championship
DEXTER, Mo. - Woodland volleyball coach Kacie Ritter-Patton was forced to make a major change to her lineup less than five minutes before the start of Thursday night's SCAA semifinal against Bernie. Woodland senior standout Shelby Sawyer suffered a pre game ankle injury and had to be carried off the floor as Bernie and Woodland concluded their pregame warmup routines...
DEXTER, Mo. - Woodland volleyball coach Kacie Ritter-Patton was forced to make a major change to her lineup less than five minutes before the start of Thursday night's SCAA semifinal against Bernie.
Woodland senior standout Shelby Sawyer suffered a pre game ankle injury and had to be carried off the floor as Bernie and Woodland concluded their pregame warmup routines.
"One of my senior starters went down in the warmup," Ritter-Patton said. "She plays all away around. I already had my lineup turned in. Since it was a medical reason I could change it. We were able to get Kandyce Mifflin, who is a senior, in the lineup and she stepped it up and did a great job for us defensively. Then when she got to the front row sophomore Hannah Scott did a great job coming in off the bench and playing the front row. I was extremely proud of the way my girls stepped up after the injury."
The third-seeded Woodland Cardinals experienced little difficulty disposing of the second-seeded Bernie Mules following the lineup changes.
The Cardinals used its size advantage at the net early and often as it pounded out 12 kills in the first set and 15 more kills in the second set on its way to a 25-13, 25-15 win against the Mules.
"I've been working with them all season to get them to hit the ball down and be a power force," Ritter-Patton said of her team's offensive output. "I felt like my hitters did that tonight. I also thought our blocking showed up tremendously."
Bernie enjoyed success early in the match as senior middle hitter Kayli Tanner recorded her team's first three points on kills to help the Mules build an early 8-5 lead. Woodland followed with a 6-0 run to move ahead 11-8 and increased its lead to 19-11 before it built its largest lead of the first set at 24-12.
The Cardinals scored the first eight points of the second set and padded its advantage as large as 20-6 before Bernie followed with an 8-2 run to get as close as 22-14.
Woodland sophomore outside hitter Krista Rhodes finished with a team-high 14 kills. Woodland sophomore middle hitter Kelsie Long added seven more kills.
Tanner calculated nine of the Mules' 14 kills.
The Cardinals, which also won the Woodland Invitational the first week of the season, improve to 18-6-2 with the victory.
"We got seeded third and I know a lot of people were questioning us being third, honestly," Ritter-Patton said. "We start virtually two seniors and the rest are sophomores so getting to the finals is a huge accomplishment already as it is, especially for Woodland. We haven't been in this championship for several years and getting to it is huge, especially a week before the district tournament. It just gives our girls the confidence that they can do anything they set their mind to do."
Woodland will meet the two-time defending champion Dexter Bearcats in the varsity championship.
Top-seeded Dexter collected a 25-12, 25-18 victory against fourth-seeded Advance in the first varsity semifinal Thursday night.
"I felt like we really took care of business the first game," Dexter coach Carmen Morgan said of her team's third win against Advance this season. "Our passes looked good in the first game. The second game I felt like Advance made a few adjustments and we hit to a few spots that allowed them to score some points on us. Something we talk about every day is if you lose a ball that's fine, but don't let them have the next ball. We didn't do that for a little while and they made a run on us."
Advance trailed only 6-5 after the teams played 11 points in the first set of their semifinal. Dexter followed with a 12-2 run to move ahead 20-8 and led by double digits the rest of the first set.
The Bearcats also built a 20-8 lead in the second set before Advance came storming back to get as close as 23-18.
Dexter calculated 26 kills and Advance tallied 15 kills.
Dexter sophomore Krysten Garrison recorded 10 kills. Dexter sophomores Lexie Barnes and Hannah Thurmon had five kills each. Dexter sophomore Addie Kruse added four more kills.
Advance sophomore Alanis Below finished with six kills and Advance senior Brylee Morse recorded five kills.
Barnes had eight digs, senior Brittany Brown had a pair of ace serves and Bailey Williams recorded a team-high 14 assists for Dexter.
Bernie (17-8-2) plays Advance (15-9-2) in the varsity third-place game Friday at 6 p.m.
Dexter (23-4-2) faces Woodland in the varsity championship Friday at 8 p.m. at the Bearcat Event Center.
"I hope we are ready to come out and play well because everybody plays us like they have nothing to lose," Morgan said. "We want to be up and be ready for the challenge. I think it will be a good game."
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JUNIOR VARSITY TOURNAMENT
Top-seeded Dexter is slated to square off against second-seeded Bloomfield in the junior varsity title game Friday. at 7 p.m.
Dexter beat fourth-seeded Advance 25-19, 25-15 in the first junior varsity semifinal Thursday. Bloomfield followed with a 25-15, 25-20 win against third-seeded Woodland.
Advance plays Woodland in the junior varsity third-place match Friday at 5 p.m.
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