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Kennett Indians beat New Madrid County Central in SEMO Conference rematch
KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians hosted the Eagles from New Madrid County Central in a SEMO Conference Tournament rematch.
After falling to the Eagles in the first round of the conference tournament, Kennett came back to sweep NMCC in straight sets. This helped the Indians extend their record to 14-11 while they continue their four-game win streak.
The first set was close, with Kennett only winning by four points. Sophomore Olivia Raspberry led the way with four kills to give the Indians a 25-21 advantage. Junior Tayja Carter also had three kills in the first set and both players had two blocks each, helping the team at the net.
Junior Ella Gardner helped carry the team to a 2-0 lead with 11 straight unanswered serves in the second set. The Indians took set two, 25-14, behind Gardner’s service run. Along with Gardner, Sophomore Kali Reed had a seven point service run to secure the second set for Kennett.
Reed also had four kills in the first two sets, stepping up offensively for the Indians.
The final set was another 25-21 victory for Kennett as Gardner went on another six point service run. Junior Lilliana Wilson had a seven point service run, including an ace, to help drive home the 3-0 sweep.
Wilson led the team with two aces on the night. She also had six kills, 15 assists and a block.
Gardner finished the night with 15 assists as well along with five digs and four kills.
Juniors Kynsley McCaig and Baylee Wilcut helped with pick up duties as they both had eight digs on the night.
Also on defense, Carter and Raspberry both had four blocks against the Eagles. Raspberry led the team with 11 kills total and Carter added 6 kills.
Kennett is now three games ahead of NMCC as the Eagles fall to 11-9. The Indians still trail behind Dexter and Notre Dame in their Class 3 District 1 assignment, but are only six points from second place.
With this victory, Kennett has already produced the best record in four years. The last time they won 14 games or more was in 2020 when they went 21-9. The Kennett volleyball team beat their 10-14 record from last season along with their 13-20 record from 2022, and they still have seven games left in the regular season.
Next, Kennett will continue their competitions this week on the road as they travel to face Clarkton on Tuesday, Oct. 8. They will then travel to play Cape Central on Thursday, Oct. 10.