Leopold Wildcats rally for 'Team Tony' in straight-set victory over Perryville

Leopold senior Ava Jansen leads the handshake line after winning a volleyball match against Perryville on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in Perryville, Mo. Leopold players wore puzzle-piece printed hair bows for autism awareness in remembrance of Leopold Middle School student Anthony "Tony" Beussink, who passed away on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the age of 12.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

With heavy hearts and a strong resolve, the Leopold Wildcats defeated the Perryville Pirates in straight sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in Perryville, Mo.

Leopold plays its first game since the tragic passing of Leopold middle school student Anthony "Tony" Beussink. Classes were canceled on Monday after news of the passing, as well as Thursday for the funeral.

The Wildcats wore puzzle-piece printed hair bows for autism awareness in remembrance of Beussink.

"That was really weighing on a lot of our minds," Jansen said. "But the girls really went out there and they were playing for 'Team Tony'.

"It was about these girls coming together as a family and ready to play, supporting our community," she added, "couldn't be more proud of them."

Leopold's win over Perryville was its first over the Pirates since falling to them in the championship round of the 2023 Woodland Invitational Tournament.

"I wish we could have taken them on in the Woodland Tournament but we were still fighting a lot of injuries and it was nice to come here and prove a point that we deserve to be in that top seed," Jansen said.

Before the match, Perryville High School officials had a donation bucket for the Beussink family displayed at the school entrance for spectators generous enough to help out a family from a nearby community.

"I think that's awesome," Jansen said. "I love that we can have the rivalries, we can go out and we can play and fight on that floor but come together as a community outside of it. I think it's fantastic that Perryville did what they did. They gave us a moment, kudos to them. It's very heartwarming for us as a community."

Rylie Schreiner was Leopold's player of the match after leading the Wildcats with 14 kills against the Pirates.

"I am so proud of her to come out and play as hard as she did," Jansen said.

Leopold will participate in the Dig for Life Tournament held in the Show Me Center, held on Sept. 13-14, which is sponsored by Saint Francis Healthcare and tied to the cause of breast cancer awareness.

"We're a team that has a lot of family, and there are a lot of family members on the team," Jansen said. "Anytime we can go out and fight for a good cause, whether it's cancer, whether it's autism, whether it's anything, that's 100 percent what we want to do."

Perryville was led by Ellie Gerler's eight kills, Jewel Riney 16 digs, and Paige Berkbigler 17 assists. The Pirates will travel north on Saturday, Sept. 14 to participate in the North County Tournament.