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Thursday, November 20, 2008

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Volleyball Co-players of the year: Heil, Satterfield shine on the court (11/16/08) DEXTER -- On the night's that volleyball was played at Dexter high school this past season, the home crowd that piled into the gymnasium usually saw more than just a match from their Lady Bearcats. They saw a tandem around the net that could equally strike a ball with raw power at will. They saw a pair of players that did anything they could for a win. They saw a duo that did everything for the good of the team... Later start to practice 'a big deal' to Dons (11/13/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer After finishing out the 2007-08 season with a narrow three-point loss to New Madrid in MSHSAA Class 3 sectional playoff back in March, the Doniphan Dons have a lot to contend with over the next few weeks leading up to the regular season... DHS athletes honored at fall sports banquet (11/12/08) The fall sports season at Dexter High School was officially brought to an end Tuesday night with the annual Fall Sports Recognition Program held in the DHS auditorium. Twin Rivers runs out of steam in Class 2 volleyball sectional (11/02/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer PIEDMONT -- Twin Rivers' first trip to the MSHSAA volleyball playoffs in school history wasn't a successful one. The Lady Royals got the early edge on Liberty at the start of the match, but the Lady Eagles cruised from there, winning 25-18, 25-16 at Clearwater High School. The win advanced Liberty to the quarterfinals later Saturday evening where they lost to top-ranked Scott City 25-10, 25-19... Twin Rivers wins first volleyball district crown (10/29/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer MALDEN -- After losing key components from last season, it was suppose to be a "down year" Twin Rivers coach Kelly Null said Tuesday night. But this year's team did something that no other Lady Royals volleyball team had ever accomplished... Top-ranked Scott City stops Puxico in volleyball final (10/29/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BLOOMFIELD -- After falling behind midway through the first game of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 championship game against Puxico, the Scott City Lady Rams called a timeout and hit the floor with a renewed sense of purpose... Twin Rivers, Bernie advance to finals (10/28/08) By DAR STAFF MALDEN -- After the first day of action in MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 tournament, the Twin Rivers Lady Royals came out the highest seed after numerous upsets. The third-seeded Lady Royals will take on the fifth-seeded Caruthersville in tonight's championship after the Tigers upset two teams Monday... Final countdown: Bloomfield, Puxico face off in semifinal (10/28/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BLOOMFIELD -- Up 12-6, third seed Bloomfield was looking to put away sixth-seeded Clearwater in the first game of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 opening round Monday in Bloomfield. In stepped Lindsay Levitt. Levitt started serving with the team up 14-7 and served out the rest of the match as the Lady Wildcats got 11 straight with Levitt behind the line to win the game and went on to win the match, 25-7, 25-17... Puxico rolls, Lady Bears fall in district volleyball (10/28/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BLOOMFIELD -- Puxico took charge early against Charleston and didn't let up as they won in two games Monday afternoon in the first round of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 tournament in Bloomfield, 25-9, 25-7. The Lady Indians will now face Bloomfield in the semifinals today at 5:30 p.m... Hillsboro down Lady Mules in Class 4 districts (10/28/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor FARMINGTON -- The Poplar Bluff volleyball team committed enough errors Monday night in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 quarterfinal to give away a game. Hillsboro's Kaylin Rasmussen nearly had enough kills to take another... Survive and advance: Lady Tribe holds off Hayti to reach Bootheel finals (10/22/08) Teams take part in tournament pool play (10/17/08) ORAN -- Four local volleyball teams were vying for their chance at a conference title on Thursday night, as the SEMO Conference tournament opened up pool play. Sikeston, Oran, Charleston and New Madrid County Central each played one another once to determine the seeds for the rest of the tournament... Bernie, Puxico advance into semifinals at SCAA (10/15/08) By DAR STAFF DEXTER -- The Bernie Lady Mules advanced into the semifinals the SCAA Tournament with a 25-20, 25-23 win over Woodland on Tuesday night. Kristin Eaves led the way with 11 kills followed by Krista Armbuster with seven. Sarah Deason had 16 digs and Sami Palmer had 20 assists... Twin Rivers volleyball edges Clearwater (10/15/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BROSELEY -- Three was the magic number Tuesday night for Twin Rivers. The Lady Royals didn't give themselves much cushioning on the scoreboard, as their biggest lead in any game was three points, as they won a nip-and-tuck battle with Clearwater 25-23, 19-25, 25-22... Greenville edges Clearwater (10/14/08) By DAR STAFF GREENVILLE -- For the first time in his coaching career at Greenville, coach Brent Huff and his Lady Bears beat Clearwater Monday night, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19. "The games were pretty ugly," Huff said. "We put together a couple of runs that really made difference. This year we've given up some pretty big leads."... Eighth graders slip past Poplar Bluff; freshmen fall (10/10/08) SIKESTON -- The eighth grade Sikeston Bulldog football team defeated the Poplar Bluff Mules 18-13 Thursday night in Sikeston. "The eighth grade played pretty well tonight against the toughest team we've played all year," junior high football coach Brett Blackman said... ROUNDUP: Kennett stops Poplar Bluff rally (10/07/08) By DAR STAFF KENNETT -- The Poplar Bluff soccer team was shorthanded Monday night against the Kennett Indians, but nearly came away with one. The Indians broke a 2-2 tie with two minutes to go as Blake Willbanks scored to lift Kennett to the win, 3-2... Poplar Bluff wraps up a gift win vs. Twin Rivers (10/07/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor The Poplar Bluff volleyball team gave their coach a win on his birthday Monday night at Peters Gym but the Lady Mules may have aged Mike Berry even more in the process. With 20 hitting errors, the Lady Mules had to fend off Twin Rivers late in each game for a 25-21, 25-21 victory... Clearwater closes out run of OFC baseball (10/05/08) By DAR STAFF PIEDMONT -- The Clearwater Tigers are bringing a little bit of momentum into this week's Ozark Foothills Conference tournament after they beat Greenville Friday afternoon, 16-6, in six innings. After Clearwater got off to a 4-0 start through the first two innings, the Bears didn't back down as they got their first of two three-run home runs on the day. ... ROUNDUP: Redbirds edge Naylor in eighth (10/01/08) By DAR STAFF ELLSINORE -- East Carter rallied with six runs in the fourth inning before getting one in the eighth to move past Naylor 7-6 on Tuesday afternoon. Derek Saffle hit a grounder to third base that scored Austin Stephens to give the Redbirds the win... Poplar Bluff falls short at Lesterville (10/01/08) By DAR STAFF LESTERVILLE -- The Poplar Bluff volleyball team played a tough Lesterville squad Tuesday night, but came away empty-handed against the sixthranked team in Class 1. The Lady Mules gave Lesterville all they could handle, but still lost both games, 25-21 and 25-19... Bloomfield rallies to beat Twin Rivers (10/01/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BROSELEY -- The Bloomfield Lady Wildcats felt after their match Monday night against Puxico exactly how Twin Rivers felt Tuesday night after they played Lady Wildcats. Monday, the Lady Wildcats led 1-0 over the Lady Indians but dropped the next two games for a 2-1 loss... ROUNDUP: Puxico volleyball rallies past Bloomfield (09/30/08) By DAR STAFF After dropping their first match Monday night, the Puxico Indians bounced back to beat Bloomfield, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22. "The first one they were a little bit down," Puxico coach Karen Hazel said. "They picked it up though. They were determined."... Sikeston volleyball earns win against Bluejays (09/30/08) CHARLESTON -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs picked up another win on the volleyball court Monday evening as they defeated the Charleston Lady Bluejays 25-14 and 25-14. Sikeston finished the contest with 17 aces total. Leading the way in the stat column for the Lady Bulldogs was Asia Liggins with five kills, four aces and six digs, Madeline Davis with three kills, six aces, five digs and two blocks and Keyarra Blissett had three kills and three aces. Mandy Moore also had 11 digs in the victory... Dexter, Bernie win at Arkansas State Playday (09/29/08) By DAR STAFF JONESBORO, Ark. -- Dexter won one of the four titles at the ASU Playday on Saturday night while Bernie won a consolation title. The Lady Bearcats beat Trumann, Ark. 25-21, 25-19 in the Silver Bracket final. After losing to West Memphis, Ark. in pool play Saturday at the Arkansas State University Tournament, the Mules got revenge later in the afternoon as they beat West Memphis, Ark., in a rematch for the Scarlet Division consolation championship... ROUNDUP: Poplar Bluff wins volleyball battle of Mules (09/23/08) By DAR STAFF BERNIE -- Six different players had two or more kills for Poplar Bluff and the Lady Mules combined for 13 blocks in a 25-16, 25-20 win Monday night at Bernie. "A true team effort," Lady Mules volleyball coach Mike Berry said. Blake Talkington led Poplar Bluff (8-6) with five kills, while Jamie Fritts added four kills and three solo blocks and five block assists... Jackson hands Sikeston loss on diamond (09/23/08) JACKSON -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs softball team dropped a close one on Monday afternoon on the road to the Jackson Lady Indians, 2-0. The two runs were unearned, one coming in the second inning and the other in the third. Sarah Hopson was handed the loss as she lasted all seven innings. Hopson walked two and struck out three while only giving up three hits... Sikeston improves at volleyball tournament (09/22/08) PERRYVILLE -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team traveled to Perryville Saturday to participate in the 10 team Perryville Volleyball Tournament. Sikeston complied a 0-2-2 record in the tournament, but showed great improvement from the beginning of the season according to Lady Bulldog head coach Steve Beydler... Poplar Bluff volleyball falls in tourney semifinals (09/21/08) By DAR STAFF PIEDMONT -- The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the Clearwater Invitational on Saturday, but came up short with a 25-22, 25-14 loss to Eminence. After a close score in the first game against the Redwings, the Lady Mules fell behind 9-0 in the second game and were unable to battle back... Poplar Bluff softball rallies past Doniphan (09/18/08) By DAR STAFF The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules needed a rally Wednesday afternoon and they got one, scoring a run in the fifth and another in the bottom of the seventh to beat Doniphan, 3-2. "That one bad inning, today it was better," Poplar Bluff coach Dusty Benson said. "Our one bad inning only allowed one run a piece instead of four or five as it has in the past."... Twin Rivers volleyball edges Greenville (09/17/08) By ROB TATE ~ DAR Sports Writer GREENVILLE -- Judging by the faces and the postures of the coaches during the third game Tuesday night, one could tell there was some anxiety. Both Twin Rivers volleyball coach Kelly Null and Greenville coach Brent Huff were sitting on their respective benches with elbows rested on their laps and hands over their mouths at the exact same moment about midway through the third game. Both were hoping that their teams would pull off the tightly-contested match... Sikeston netters fall at home to Lady Mules (09/16/08) SIKESTON-- The Sikeston Lady Bulldog Tennis team fell to the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules Monday 7-1. Sikeston's lone victory in the home meet came from Jacarra Lampkin, who defeated Poplar Bluff's Jessica Gray 8-5 in their singles match. "Jacarra (Lampkin) had a great singles match," Sikeston tennis coach Lynne DeWitt said. "She fought hard and won."... Lady Mules softball evens season record in tournament (09/14/08) By DAR STAFF WEST PLAINS -- At the West Plains softball tournament, all Poplar Bluff head coach Dusty Benson wanted was to get his team back at .500 on the season. He got his wish as the Lady Mules went 3-1 on the afternoon and played very well offensivley to even their season record at 6-6... Redbirds, Royals roll in OFC baseball action (09/12/08) By DAR STAFF ELLSINORE -- The Redbirds erupted for 11 runs in the final two innings of a 14-4 win over Greenville on Thursday. Derek Saffle led the Redbirds with two hits and four RBIs while Dan Stromat added two RBIs. Stromat threw the complete game for East Carter as he had four strikeouts and just one earned run in the win... Poplar Bluff blocks out Bloomfield for tourney (09/12/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor BLOOMFIELD -- The return of setter Kaci Tapp and libero Cierra Francisco gave the Poplar Bluff volleyball team a boost Thursday night, but hitting errors by Bloomfield put the Lady Mules over the top for a 25-21, 25-15 win... Lady Bulldogs drop home opener (09/11/08) SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team was defeated by Saxony Lutheran on Wednesday night in two straight games, 25-12 and 25-9. The Lady Bulldogs started both games by grabbing the first points, but inexperience and an abundance of errors is what Sikeston head coach Steve Beydler said cost them their chance of a win... Lady Bearcats remain undefeated with win over Cape's Lady Tigers (09/10/08) Cathryn Heil's resounding kill off a Cape Central error put an exclamation mark to the end of Dexter's Game 1, 25-12, win and the Lady Bearcats rallied for a, 25-22,, win in the second game to remain undefeated on the season and keep the Lady Tigers winless during volleyball action Tuesday at Dexter High School... Clearwater rallies past Ellington for three-set win (09/05/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer PIEDMONT -- Even though Clearwater lost the first game Thursday night, they sent the Ellington Lady Whippets a message. The Lady Tigers were down early but finished on an 11-6 run before Ellington won. However, Clearwater came out strong in the second game, rallying for a 22-25, 25-16, 25-9 win... ROUNDUP: Doniphan softball slips past Twin Rivers (09/03/08) By DAR STAFF DONIPHAN -- Doniphan scored a run in four different innings as the Donettes moved past Twin Rivers 4-3 Tuesday afternoon. "I thought our kids were really focused," Doniphan coach Brad Phillips said. "In the past, Twin Rivers has really had Doniphan's number and we were fortunate enough to hang in there and battle and get the win."... Poplar Bluff volleyball rallies past Puxico (09/03/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor PUXICO -- There was plenty of confusion before and during the season-opening volleyball match Tuesday night, but a mixup in Puxico's lineup at the start of the pivotal third game gave Poplar Bluff the lead for good... Sikeston netters shutout by Jackson (09/03/08) SIKESTON -- The Sikeston girls tennis team got off to a rocky start Tuesday afternoon, falling to the Jackson Lady Indians 9-0. "This was our first match and the girls were nervous," said Sikeston coach Lynne DeWitt. "We will build on today and look forward to Dexter today and Caruthersville on Thursday."... Greenville softball has plenty of changes (08/26/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer GREENVILLE -- This fall season brings a change at the top of the Greenville softball program as Bobby Montgomery will lead the Lady Bears. The Lady Bears will no longer have the services of Sara Condray, who graduated, but Leah Hillis is shaping up to be solid on the mound, Montgomery said... Doniphan coaches start with the basics (08/22/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer DONIPHAN -- Doniphan's baseball and softball programs are donning new leaders heading into this fall sports season. Jason Rose is taking over the baseball program while Brad Phillips will be leading the softball squad... Clearwater softball back on familiar ground (08/21/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer PIEDMONT -- After a tough off-season, the Lady Tigers are getting back on their feet. The flood last March hit the Clearwater softball team especially hard as it flooded out their field and washed away the dugouts and fencing, leaving virtually nothing familiar. However, with help from the community and others even outside the state, the Lady Tigers field is expected to be ready for their first game... Cool customers (08/20/08) A cooler Peters Gym has allowed the Lady Mules to get more done in practices Charleston building up program (08/20/08) CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Lady Bluejays volleyball team will face a rebuilding year in 2008. The Lady Bluejays lost most of their 2007 varsity team to graduation as the likes of Faye Parker, who was named to the all-conference team last year, Tiffany Johnson, Brittany Browning, Christian Haines, Emily Dugan and Brittany Stack will be hard to make up for... Dexter to build on last season (08/20/08) DEXTER -- Last year was what Dexter head coach Kristen Vandeven called a "developmental year" for the Lady Bearcat's volleyball team. They finished with a 16-15-1 overall record (4-3 conference record) and did not fulfill their expectations with a fourth place finish during the conference tournament and a second place finish in the district tournament... Stuckey is new coach for Twin Rivers baseball (08/18/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BROSELEY -- In his playing days, Denver Stuckey was a tough, hard-nosed competitor. After coaching stints at Three Rivers Community College and Oran High School, he is looking to bring that mentality to the Twin Rivers baseball team as its new coach this fall... Mules open fall practices (08/12/08) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Normally on the first day of practice, Poplar Bluff athletes are baking at Bacon Park or Peters Gym. That wasn't the case Monday. The high temperature was 82 degrees and by the time the Mules football team finished up at 8:30 p.m., Bacon Park was almost chilly... Changing faces: Poplar Bluff has several new coaches (08/10/08) Of the six fall sports at Poplar Bluff, there are five new coaches Stoddard County girls take first at Show-Me State Games (07/22/08) ... All-everything: Watson named Daily Dunklin Democrat Female Athlete of the Year (06/19/08) Laura Watson has had a storied high school career, to say the least. In her four-year high school career, she has been a key player on two Tri-County Conference title softball teams at Holcomb, helped the volleyball team win a district title as a junior, and has been named the area's top volleyball player by this newspaper the last two years... Set for success: Beydler signs to play volleyball at Fontbonne (06/17/08) By Andrew Powell ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com SIKESTON -- When 2008 graduate Rachel Beydler first applied to Fontbonne University in November her intentions weren't exactly set for volleyball reasons. However, when Griffins coach Crystal Spinner personally called Sikeston coach Steven Beydler to ask about the coach's daughter, those intentions changed... Johnson to play two sports at Williams Baptist (05/19/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer There are many multiple-sport athletes in high school but rarely do athletes play more than one sport in college. Twin River's Briana Johnson is an exception. Johnson recently signed to play basketball and volleyball at Williams Baptist in Walnut Ridge, Ark... Beydler signs with Fontbonne (04/18/08) Sikeston Senior High School volleyball all-stater Rachel Beydler signed a letter of intent to attend Fontbonne University Thursday afternoon at the Field House. You can read more about Beydler's record-setting career at Sikeston in this Nov. 1 story in the Standard Democrat... Teammates end up on opposite sides, enjoy final games (04/06/08) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Twin Rivers' Briana Johnson rose from the floor and spiked the ball, sending it on a crash course for the court on the other side of the net. In the final round of the spiking competition, she fired a spike at 47 mph, winning the competition at the B.A. Sports All-Star Extravaganza at the Bess Activity Center in Poplar Bluff... Miracle on the court: Delta C7 standout bounces back from near-fatal wreck (02/28/08) Moving her feet to an upbeat song during a halftime break at the Tri-County Conference basketball tournament, Lindsey Bryant looks like your typical vibrant, athletic high school cheerleader. Which she is -- and that's what is all the more amazing. Back in July, Bryant, a junior at Delta C7 High School, was critically injured in an automobile accident in Pemiscot County. ... All-Semoball girls volleyball team (01/10/08) The top players in Southeast Missouri as selected with input from coaches by the Semoball.com staff: Cassie Seiler, Leopold (12/11/07) Position: Setter Year: Senior Plans for next year: Next year, I plan on going to play college volleyball, hopefully at Shawnee Community College Season stats: 650 assists, 166 digs, and 33 aces Favorite moment this season: The feeling of accomplishment after sectionals. I loved the community support before sectionals... Desiree Arnzen, Leopold (12/11/07) Position: Libero Year: Senior Plans for next year: Attend Murray State University and major in accounting Season stats: 208 digs, 25 aces Favorite moment this season: Winning sectionals, realizing we were going to state and having our whole town there to hug when we won... Rachel Spears, Bell City (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Senior Plans for next year: Go to Missouri State in Springfield. I won't play in college, and I want to major in sociology Season stats: 208 kills, 54 aces, 217 digs, .306 hitting percentage, 137 assisted blocks, 66 solo blocks... Casey Bucher, Leopold (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Junior Season stats: 240 kills/.312 hitting percentage, 67.5 blocks, 154 digs Favorite moment this season: The excitement in the gym from all the fans after winning sectionals Typical pre-game meal: Pasta Funniest moment this season: Watching Maddy Hutchings play defense during practice... Lauren Johnson, Woodland (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Junior Season stats: 141 kills, 314 digs Favorite moment this season: The Woodland tournament with our cheering section and all the chants they had for us Typical pre-game meal: Fruit and a walnut salad from McDonald's Funniest moment this season: Diving on my head during the Dexter game. I was on the ground holding my head and seeing spots while everyone else was still playing... Brooke Brown, St. Vincent (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Senior Plans for next year: I am planning on becoming a massage therapist. I would love to play volleyball in college, but I don't think I'm tall enough Season stats (through districts): 165 kills, 177 digs Favorite moment this season: Beating Crystal City in sectionals to move on to state... Wendi Zickfield, Central (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Junior Season stats: 166 digs, 67 aces, 280 kills Favorite moment this season: When we played Jackson. Even though it was a loss, we played extremely well Pregame ritual: Before the game, we pray and we get pumped by listening to music and by focusing on what we need to do... Maddy Hutchings, Leopold (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Senior Plans for next year: I am planning on attending Shawnee Community College on a volleyball scholarship and studying zoology Season stats: 258 kills/.339 percent, 94.5 blocks, 50 aces Favorite moment this season: Playing in the championship match at the SEMO Classic... Kelsey Cissell, St. Vincent (12/11/07) Position: Hitter/setter Year: Senior Plans for next year: Go to the University of Mississippi to study pharmacy. I will not play volleyball Season stats: 137 kills, 352 assists, 135 digs Favorite moment this season: When we beat Crystal City in sectionals to go to state... Codie Lancaster, Bell City (12/11/07) Position: Setter Year: Junior Season stats: 641 assists, 70 kills, .403 hitting percentage, 165 digs, 94 percent serving Favorite moment this season: The annual sleepover before districts Typical pre-game meal: Spaghetti Funniest moment this season: All of Jenny Lathum's sweet dancing and when Mallory Dockins tried to climb the wall unsuccessfully... Jessica Abner, Bell City (12/11/07) Position: Hitter Year: Senior Plans for next year: I have a volleyball scholarship to Shawnee Community College, and I plan on becoming a nurse Season stats: 253 kills, 55 serving aces, .355 hitting percentage Favorite moment this season: When I made the mile time the first day of preseason... 2007 all-Southeast Missourian volleyball team (12/11/07) The Southeast Missourian sports staff put together a team of the most talented high school volleyball players in the newspaper's coverage area. Below is the roster, with links to each player's page. Hitter -- Brooke Brown, St. Vincent Hitter -- Casey Bucher, Leopold... Bell City's Abner selected Southeast Missourian Volleyball Player of the Year (12/10/07) Bell City senior Jessica Abner made one simple change that helped her play better volleyball this fall than her first three high school seasons. She improved her attitude -- period. "I know in the past years I hadn't tried as hard as I could, and during preseason, I worked a lot harder because I wanted to be the best," Abner said. "I don't know really what I did. I just know every time I got on the court, I would try to do my best... Indians, Wildcats land two on all-state (11/22/07) Eight local high school volleyball players earned all-state honors this fall, including two members from St. Vincent, which finished second in Class 2, and two members of the Leopold squad, which finished in third place in Class 1. St. Vincent seniors Kelsey Cissell and Brooke Brown both earned first-team all-state honors in Class 2. Leopold's Maddy Hutchings earned second-team all state for Class 1 and Wildcats junior Casey Bucher was awarded a state honorable mention... Volleyball stars switch gears (11/19/07) The St. Vincent volleyball team fell just shy of a state title a few weeks ago, finishing in second place in Class 2. Now four of the starters on that runner-up team will change into their blue and gold basketball uniforms and try to bring home a possible first-place finish on the court... Twin Rivers' Woodham signs with Shawnee (11/15/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor BROSELEY -- Natosha Woodham is ready to make another big leap. The Twin Rivers senior signed her national letter of intent Wednesday to play volleyball at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill. "I'm just really excited," Woodham said. "It's really close so that's good, too, good for my family."... Nowacki named coach of the year (11/15/07) The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team tied for the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title despite being picked to finish sixth entering the year. By virtue of being the OVC's biggest surprise, Southeast's Renata Nowacki was named the conference's coach of the year Wednesday... Area players dig up volleyball awards (11/14/07) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer Bernie middle hitter Jenny Eubank and setter Amber Mirth were named to the Class 1 all-state team as honorable mentions while Briana Johnson was honorable mention in Class 2. Several area volleyball players headlined their respective all-district teams as Twin Rivers led the way with four first-teamers and one second-team selection in Class 2 District 2, as well as four all-Ozark Foothills Conference selections... New Salem repeats at state champions (11/04/07) The New Salem Baptist Academy won the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association volleyball title recently. The Eagles capped a perfect 30-0 record to repeat as state champions. They defeated Grandview 25-17, 25-20 in the title match. Martie Poole had 15 kills and Laura Poole added 21 assists in the title match. Both players earned a spot on the SLMCAA conference tournament first team... St. Vincent falls short in state title match (11/04/07) WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Stockton's Karissa Hassell was extremely upset after St. Vincent swept her team in the opening match of the Class 2 round-robin state semifinals. "We got beat pretty bad and were kind of embarrassed," she said. "This whole year we hadn't been beat that bad by a team. It was usually by two points at the most. And so when we lost 25-16, we were determined to show what kind of team we are and push forward."... Nerves get better of St. Vincent in final (11/04/07) WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- St. Vincent certainly played with an abundance of confidence in the round-robin semifinals Friday when it rallied for three comeback wins to earn a berth in the championship. But the Indians lacked that same level of coolness when playing in the title game against Stockton on Saturday... Leopold beats Osceola for third place in state (11/04/07) WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Leopold junior outside hitter Casey Bucher said Leopold girls usually start playing volleyball in fifth grade and until high school, their teammates primarily consist of other members of their class. So when she was a freshman and was named a starter on the varsity, she was playing with some girls she didn't know very well. But she said the then-sophomores greeted her well, and now two years later, she feels like part of their class... Leopold fails to close door, will play for third (11/03/07) WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Leopold senior Desiree Arnzen was not making any excuses after the Wildcats served for game point four times against Osceola, but came away empty each time in the Class 1 round-robin semifinals. Ahead 24-20, Leopold ended up losing 26-24... Leopold: Depth, passing, fans lead charge in Class 1 (11/02/07) When Leopold coach Sandy Davis watched the film of her team's sectional and state quarterfinal victories last Saturday, she realized something -- her hitters are hot. "We watched the tape and we watched where the blocks were going and they had no idea a lot of the time because our hitters were so effective," Davis said. "They're playing well. They're hitting the ball well."... St. Vincent: Defense will decide its fate in Class 2 (11/02/07) St. Vincent libero Sara Moll loves the feeling of diving to the ground to dig a volleyball that has just been smashed in her direction. "Oh gosh, it's an awesome feeling whenever a girl hits it as hard as she can and she expects it to go down and you pop it back up," Moll said. "You watch your shoulders and hope she hits it at you."... Seniors Beydler, Davis had record-setting careers at Sikeston (11/01/07) Andrew Powell ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- With the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball season coming to an end last week, so ended the high school careers of one of the area's most dynamic duos in Martika Davis and Rachel Beydler. Even though these ladies may have suited up in a Sikeston volleyball jersey for the final time, they will not soon be forgotten as they have both left a permanent mark in the school record books... Leopold team rallies around mother who underwent surgery to remove tumors (11/01/07) Deborah Bueter was unable to see Leopold earn a berth in the state volleyball tournament Saturday because she was recovering from a surgery to remove cancerous tumors from her liver. But Bueter, a member of the Wildcats volleyball team in the early 1970s and the mother of current senior Allison Bueter, still was able to watch Leopold's Class 1 sectional win over Bell City the following day from her hospital room in St. Louis... DeWilde emerges as a force in the middle for the Indians (11/01/07) St. Vincent junior Sarah DeWilde may be an upperclassman, but she jokes that she is the least experienced member of the Indians' varsity volleyball team. DeWilde, who sat the bench as a sophomore and accumulated most of her playing time on the junior varsity team, has joined a starting lineup this fall with four seniors and a junior who have been playing together since middle school... Woodland slips past heavy-hearted Tigers (10/30/07) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer GREENVILLE -- In the days leading up to the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 tournament, the Clearwater Lady Tigers had anything but volleyball occupying their minds. "We couldn't prepare for this match real well," said Clearwater coach Rae Jean Fuchs, citing the recent deaths of a Clearwater student and her father in a car wreck. "We tried our best, we just weren't ready to play."... St. Vincent reaches state semifinals (10/28/07) St. Vincent is headed to Warrensburg. The Indians defeated Crystal City 25-18, 25-22 to capture their state quarterfinal volleyball match Saturday. "We played a heck of a defense," St. Vincent coach Mindy House said. "We had 16 blocks." St. Vincent (29-5-2) beat Scott City 25-18, 25-23 in the sectional round to reach the quarterfinals... Notre Dame's postseason run ends at sectional (10/28/07) DE SOTO, Mo. -- Saturday's loss to Lutheran South in the Class 3 sectional left the Notre Dame volleyball team at .500 for the season. But the Bulldogs can be satisfied adding to their tradition of state playoff showings -- now at seven appearances in the last eight years -- during a season of transition... Leopold advances to semifinals (10/28/07) BELL CITY -- Leopold senior Maddy Hutchings remembers when she was in the seventh grade and cheered from the stands as the Wildcats had a dream season that was capped by a Class 1 volleyball state title. She especially liked to watch Courtney Wesbecher, who used to wear a headband whenever she played... Bell City, Leopold to meet in sectional (10/27/07) Leopold volleyball coach Sandy Davis said she learned that her Wildcats still had to improve in many areas after they were swept by Bell City on Sept. 21. And now, a little more than a month later with Leopold scheduled to meet the Cubs again -- this time with more at stake in a Class 1 sectional match today -- Davis said her team has filled its holes and is ready for battle... St. Vincent captures district title (10/26/07) GREENVILLE, Mo. -- With elimination and the end of her high school volleyball career staring her in the face, St. Vincent senior hitter Kayla Cissell hammered a kill that nicked the opposite sideline to keep her team alive. After that, Sarah DeWilde had kills on the next two points to win the second game and propel the Indians to a 20-25, 27-25, 25-15 victory against Arcadia Valley in the championship match of the Class 2 District 3 tournament... West County knocks out Greenville (10/25/07) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer GREENVILLE -- After seeing a close first game get away from them Wednesday night at the MSHSAAClass 2 District 3 tournament, the Greenville Lady Bears found their early hole too much to overcome in a 25-16, 25-16 loss to third-seeded West County... Farmington sweeps Indians in final (10/25/07) Jackson senior Megan Spooler knew how close her Indians squad was to bringing home its first district title since 2002. She could almost taste it. "I wanted it real bad. I had dreams about it all week," Spooler said. "I was real nervous for this game. We really thought we had it this year."... Woodland advances to district semifinal (10/25/07) Chelsea Morris, Kyla Choate and Lauren Johnson all put down seven kills to lead the Woodland volleyball team to victory in its Class 2 District 3 opener Wednesday night in Greenville. It was the third time this season the Cardinals defeated Clearwater. Game scores were 25-22, 25-20... Twin Rivers again comes up short vs. Scott City (10/24/07) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer BROSELEY -- For the better part of two games in Tuesday's MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 championship match, the Twin Rivers Lady Royals rode their emotions and those of their home fans and stayed within striking distance of the top-seeded, defending champions from Scott City... Bell City powers past Bernie in district final (10/24/07) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer ADVANCE -- Bernie took the early 2-0 lead in both games of the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 championship game Tuesday night, but the Bell City Lady Cubs were too much and defended their title, 25-10, 25-12. "We knew what we had to do coming in," Bernie coach Jeff Rodgers said. ... Dexter falls to Notre Dame in district volleyball final (10/24/07) Josh Mills ~ Standard Democrat DEXTER -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats volleyball team had a busy night on Tuesday, as they won their first match in districts over the Perryville Lady Pirates in three games, 24-26, 25-14 and 26-24. Then, the Lady Bearcats had to turn right around and play the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs for the district title, where they fell in two straight games, 18-25 and 22-25... Bell City rings up another district crown (10/24/07) Bell City senior Rachel Spears certainly has a one-track mind these days. After the Cubs played in the Class 1 state volleyball championship tournament the past two years but failed to bring home a title either time, she wants it this year -- badly... Volleyball: Longer matches in the future? (10/24/07) Some teams have played best-of-5 matches instead of best-of-3 this year, and it may become the norm in the future. Westwood wins regular-season finale (10/23/07) Westwood Baptist won its last match of the season Monday night against Eagle Ridge, 25-17, 25-22. Misty Fleming led Westwood (8-3) with seven aces, six kills and 14 assists. Mules nipped by Hillsboro 30-28, 25-23 in volleyball district opener (10/23/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Having their season end by a total of four points in the first round of district play Monday night didn’t sit well with the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules. Hillsboro got consecutive kills from seniors Missy Leonard and Amy Stinson to wrap up a 30-28, 25-23 win over Poplar Bluff in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 quarterfinal... Bernie spikes Oran, gets another crack at Bell City (10/23/07) By ALEX ABATE ~ Sports Writer ADVANCE -- The Bernie Lady Mules lived up to their No. 2 seeding in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 tournament Monday night, as they defeated Oran 25-15, 25-7. Before easily winning the second game, Bernie (19-11-2) had its hands full in the first game. Oran scored three straight points to trail by one at 16-15 but Bernie called a timeout and scored nine straight afterwards to close out the game... Twin Rivers sets up volleyball showdown with Scott City (10/23/07) The Royals beat Bloomfield 25-20, 25-16. Sikeston's volleyball season ends (10/23/07) The Bulldogs finished 13-13-4 after 25-11, 25-21 loss. Scott City volleyball hopes tougher schedule pays off (10/22/07) Scott City senior Kristin Yetman considers the final week of September, when the Rams faced three powerhouse volleyball programs, one of the best her team has played all season. This might be somewhat surprising because the Rams were swept by Bell City, Leopold and Winona, getting outscored 181 to 126... Sikeston volleyball wins on senior night (10/19/07) Josh Mills ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- On a night where emotions were running high, the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team took two straight games from the New Madrid County Central Lady Eagles on Senior Night, by scores of 25-18 and 25-21. “I’m always concerned about the stress on Senior Night,” Sikeston head coach Steve Beydler said. ... Lady Royals avoid Campbell's rally (10/19/07) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer BROSELEY -- Coming off a sweep of Greenville on Friday to clinch the Ozark Foothills Conference championship Twin Rivers found the going rougher than expected Monday against visiting Campbell. After a relatively easy win in the opening game, the scored seven of the final nine points to complete the sweep, 25-12, 25-20... Errors pile up in Poplar Bluff's loss to Cape Central (10/19/07) By DAR STAFF CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Poplar Bluff committed 29 unforced errors and had just 13 total kills in a 25-22, 25-9 loss to Cape Central. Jamie Fritts led the Lady Mules with seven kills while Hannah Pratt and Kaci Tapp had two each. Tapp and Abby Ivie combined for 11 assists... Bell City slams Sikeston 25-10, 25-21 (10/16/07) Josh Mills ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team played host to the Bell City Lady Cubs on Monday evening at the Sikeston Fieldhouse, losing in two straight games by scores of 25-10 and 25-21. The loss takes the Lady Bulldogs to 11-13-4 on the season... Jackson sweeps Perryville (10/16/07) Megan Spooler smacked eight kills and added 10 digs and two blocks to lead the Jackson volleyball team to a win against Perryville on Monday. Chelsea Olson chipped in six digs, 11 assists and six kills while Jill Rushin added six blocks for the Indians (18-7-1)... Sikeston volleyball wins SEMO Conference tournament (10/15/07) The Bulldogs won 25-19, 25-15 against Oran Bernie, Bell City advance to SCAA volleyball final (10/12/07) By DAR STAFF PUXICO -- Jenny Eubank and Kristin Eaves led the way with 10 kills and five solo blocks each and Jessie Alexander added eight as Bernie swept Woodland 25-23, 25-20 in the semifinal of the SCAA Tournament. The Lady Mules (16-10-1) face top-seeded Bell City tonight in the championship game... Sikeston grabs top seed with 4-2 pool play mark in SEMO volleyball (10/12/07) Andrew Powell ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- The SEMO Conference Volleyball Tournament kicked off Thursday night at the Sikeston Field House with entry level pool play. Four teams battled it out over a five hour span with one exciting game after another to determine their seeding for the bracket-play this weekend. Each team competed against one another in two game sets to see who gain the top spot in the tournament... In two places at one time (10/10/07) Sara Heisserer rarely experiences a morning when she can just turn off her alarm clock and sleep a few extra hours. She did Saturday. Sort of. "I got up at 6:30 a.m. and I thought, 'Oh man, I slept in,'" Heisserer said. "Thank God we have energy drinks in this world."... Farmington's fast start too much for Poplar Bluff in volleyball (10/09/07) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules battled against visiting Farmington on Monday night, but were ousted in two games, 25-10, 25-21. After falling down 10-2 early in the second game, the Lady Mules charged back into the contest with solid serving. Poplar Bluff went on a 6-1 run to close the score to 11-8... Lady Royals earn sweep against Bernie in volleyball (10/03/07) By DAR STAFF BROSELEY --Twin Rivers edged Bernie in two close games Tuesday night, 30-28 and 25-23. Tosha Woodham had seven kills and five blocks for the Lady Royals while Briana Johnson had six kills. Kaylee Blue had 10 assists and Jordan Sentell had 15 digs in the win... Poplar Bluff volleyball edges Dexter (10/05/07) By DAR STAFF DEXTER -- Jamie Fritts led Poplar Bluff with 17 kills as the Lady Mules defeated Dexter 25-19, 20-25, 25-22 Thursday. "Tonight was a perfect example of a battle of hearts," Dexter coach Kris Vandeven said. "It came down to who wanted to win the most, and Poplar Bluff came out on top."... Kennett aces past Hayti for share of title (10/05/07) Laura Ort has talked to her Kennett Lady Indians' volleyball team in recent weeks about making improvements in how it serves the ball. That message rang loud and clear Thursday, as the Lady Indians recorded 16 aces -- 12 by sophomore Ciara Dewrock -- to a take a 25-7, 25-12 victory over Hayti in Bootheel Conference play at Kennett High School... Bearcats slip past NMCC in volleyball (10/03/07) Staff reports ~ Standard Democrat NEW MADRID -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats went on the road and knocked off the New Madrid County Central Lady Eagles in straight sets, 25-22, 25-13. Dexter (14-10-1) were led by Jessica Satterfield who had eight kills, two aces, three digs and seven assists... Sikeston volleyball rolls in straight sets against Portageville (10/03/07) Staff Reports ~ Standard Democrat PORTAGEVILLE -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team was back in action as they traveled to take on the Lady Bulldogs of Portageville on Tuesday night. The Portageville Lady 'Dogs seemed to find themselves on the short end of the chain in this one as Sikeston walked away with the victory in straight sets 25-15, 25-16... Twin Rivers volleyball rallies past Poplar Bluff (10/02/07) By DAR STAFF BROSELEY -- The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules took a two-game lead against Twin Rivers before the Lady Royals won three straight games to take the match, 24-26, 11-25, 25-15, 25-21, 15-13. "Really, it was emotionally and physically draining," Twin Rivers coach Kelly Null said. "We went through some high points and low points and I know this morning they are tired -- ending with the win makes it a whole lot better."... Central netters split matches (10/01/07) The Central girls tennis team won its first match against Parkway Central and dropped a second contest to Parkway West on Saturday. The Tigers' record now stands at 13-3 in dual matches. Central 7, Parkway Central 2 Singles No. 1 -- Sarah Ford (C) def. Yelena Levina, 2-6, 6-1, tiebreaker 10-5... Bearcats rally past Sikeston in volleyball (09/28/07) Andrew Powell ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON - Two very evenly matched teams met on the hardwood Thursday night as the Dexter Lady Bearcats squared off against the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs at the Sikeston Field House. In what proved to be a real cat and dog fight, the Lady Bearcats volleyball team edged out the Lady Bulldogs in three sets 21-25, 25-19, 25-23... Dondlinger, DeLong lead Southeast to victory in five games (09/27/07) Aubrey Dondlinger has been strong on the front line for the Southeast Missouri State volleyball team since the season started. It took Karleigh DeLong a bit longer to get her season started because of an injury, but she has also been stout up front since returning... Poplar Bluff blocked by Lesterville in volleyball three-setter (09/26/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Grace Griffith filled in for Poplar Bluff senior Kim McDaniel with seven kills Tuesday night, but the Lady Mules were still missing something against Lesterville. "She's pretty much the leader of the team," said junior Kaci Tapp of McDaniel. "It was a big difference without her... Sikeston volleyball spikes Oran (09/26/07) Staff Reports ~ Standard Democrat ORAN -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team was back in action Tuesday night as they traveled to Oran taking on the Lady Eagles. The Lady 'Dogs edged out the Lady Eagles in straight sets 25-16, 25-13. Picking up their second straight win, Sikeston finds themselves only one game under five hundred with an 8-9-2 record... Sikeston volleyball pounds Charleston in straight sets (09/25/07) Staff Reports ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON - The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team improved its record to 7-9-2 on the season, by defeating the visiting Charleston Lady Bluejays on Monday night by scores of 25-17 and 25-14. "It was good to get the win," Sikeston head coach Steve Beydler. "We started out a little flat. The second match was even at 9-9, then we focused and outscored them 16-5."... Redhawks make quick work of Skyhawks (09/23/07) A night after getting swept in its home opener, the Southeast Missouri State volleyball team got out the brooms. The Redhawks took care of Tennessee-Martin in three games Saturday to notch their first victory at home. Junior Aubrey Dondlinger led the Redhawks' attack with 17 kills while senior Brittany Hastings and sophomore Karleigh DeLong added 13 kills apiece... Bell City hitters lean on their setter to spread the ball around for success (09/22/07) Bell City junior Codie Lancaster was selected for the all-state team both her freshman and sophomore years. But Cubs coach Erin Hoffman continues to drive her each day at practice to become a better setter. "I've been getting on her big time to mix it up and not go to the same place over, over and over because smart teams are going to catch onto that and then they're going to stop us," Hoffman said. ... Sikeston unable to overcome slow start in volleyball vs. Scott City (09/21/07) Staff Reports ~ Standard Democrat SCOTT CITY - The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team was back in action Thursday night as they traveled to Scott City to play the Lady Rams, dropping the match in straight sets 21-25, 17-25. Even though the Lady Bulldogs lost, coach Steve Beydler thought his team played better than what the final score presumed... Semoball High 5 volleyball rankings (09/21/07) 1. Leopold 2. St. Vincent 3. Bell City Sikeston volleyball falls to Jackson (09/19/07) JACKSON -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball went on the road Tuesday night and lost to a very tough Jackson team 25-17, 25-14. With the loss, Sikeston falls to 6-8-2 on the season and will play again Thursday at Scott City. In junior varsity action Jackson won 25-10, 25-6... Bernie holds off Poplar Bluff in volleyball (09/18/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor With the third game tied 24-24 Monday night, Poplar Bluff let a pass fall to the floor at Peters Gym. Sarah Deason then closed out the match with a kill to give Bernie a thrilling 25-22, 19-25, 26-24 win. "That's jitters," said Poplar Bluff coach Suzie Ruppert of the late hitting error. "That's really what we've been talking about day in and day out, that we're not taking the games we should win."... Sikeston volleyball sweeps Bloomfield (09/18/07) Andrew Powell ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- Riding high on the momentum from a win in their final match at the Perryville Tournament this past weekend, the Sikeston volleyball team returned home to take on the Bloomfield Lady Wildcats Monday night... St. Vincent captures Perryville Invite title (09/16/07) Brooke Brown, Sarah Dewilder and Kelsey Cissell were named to the all-tournament team as they helped St. Vincent win the Perryville Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday. Tournament scores St. Vincent def. Bismarck 19-25, 25-11, 25-18; St. Vincent def. ... Cape Central soccer blanks Poplar Bluff (09/14/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Just when it seemed the Poplar Bluff soccer team had taken a step forward with a spirited loss to Notre Dame, the Mules took a step all the way back to 2005. Zach Zarbua scored twice beat as Cape the Mules 3-0 Thursday night at Whiteley Park... Sikeston rallies but drops volleyball match to Poplar Bluff (09/14/07) Jeff Arenz ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- The Comeback Kids they were not. Well, almost! On Thursday at the Sikeston High School Field House, the Lady Bulldogs varsity volleyball team rallied from multiple deficits of four or more points before falling to Poplar Bluff in three games 17-25, 25-23, 21-25... Twin Rivers pulls away from Greenville for volleyball win (09/12/07) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer BROSELEY -- Already having one game in the bag Tuesday night, Twin Rivers faced the possibility of heading into a third against Greenville. The Lady Royals were ahead by three points late, but the Lady Bears tied the game at 20 and put the pressure right back on Twin Rivers... Bell City slams on gas, sweeps Poplar Bluff in volleyball (09/12/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Locked in a heated back-and-forth battle with one of the top area volleyball teams Tuesday night, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules simply got slammed at Peters Gym. "Once they started slamming (volleys) we were taken aback," said Lady Mules coach Suzie Ruppert of Bell City, which finished fourth in Class 1 last year and third the previous season... Central netters roll past Jackson (09/12/07) Sarah Ford and Lindsey Pingel have teamed up to win the past two district titles en route to successive trips to the state tournament. The two seniors, however, often have other things on their minds besides just tennis when competing. "Lindsey and I gossip," Ford said, laughing. "We talk about the day. Just gossip. … Doubles is more fun because I have my partner."... Jackson spikers squeak by Central in three games (09/12/07) Rivals Central and Jackson squared off in a tight volleyball match Tuesday night, with the visiting Indians pulling out a three-game victory. Jackson rallied for a 22-25, 25-21, 25-23 triumph as the Indians improved to 7-3-1 and dropped the Tigers to 9-6-2... Sikeston drops close hard-hitting match to Cape Central (09/11/07) Jeff Arenz ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- Two of southeast Missouri's hardest-hitting middle hitters took center stage Monday night at the Sikeston High School Field House. As the Cape Central Tigers defeated the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs in three games 20-25, 25-22, 25-14, middle hitters Wendi Zickfield and Martika Davis developed an intense battle of their own... Lady Tribe digs up win (09/11/07) Kennett outlasts Lady Lions with big defensive performance ND has perfect night in volleyball tourney (09/08/07) Kelsey Bradshaw finished with 23 digs to lead Notre Dame to two victories Friday on the opening day of the B.A. Promotions Volleyball Classic tournament. The Bulldogs defeated Oak Ridge 25-11, 25-8 and knocked off Kennett 25-13, 25-7. Paige Schumer recorded eight aces against Kennett. She had 16 service points and nine assists... Semoball High 5 volleyball rankings (Sept. 7) (09/08/07) 1. St. Vincent 2. Bell City 3. Leopold Mules score three second-half goals to beat Fredericktown (09/07/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor The wait for Poplar Bluff's first goal finally ended Thursday, a little over 350 minutes after the season began. But goal No. 2 quickly followed as the Mules rallied past Fredericktown. Senior forward Justin Hubbard tied the in the 50th minute and senior Martin Esquivel game scored 3 minutes later, lifting Poplar Bluff to a 3-1 win at Whiteley Park... Twin Rivers softball pounds Neelyville 12-0 (09/07/07) By DAR STAFF Carlee Vancil struck out 14 of the 18 batters she faced in five innings to record her second no-hitter of the season as Twin Rivers won 12-0 at Neelyville Vancil helped herself by going 3-for-3 at the plate with two triples and a single and driving in four runs. Samantha Leutert and Kayla Cunningham each scored twice for the Lady Royals. Senior catcher Kelci Scott crossed the plate three times and also drove in three runs... Poplar Bluff volleyball stops Bloomfield's surge (09/07/07) By BRAD HURT ~ Sports Writer Just when the visiting Bloomfield Wildcats seemed to be on the verge of forcing a third game Thursday against Poplar Bluff, a pair of blistering shots put the match safely in the win column for the Lady Mules, 25-20, 25-20... Bell City raises its intensity, sweeps Bernie (09/07/07) Jeff Arenz ~ Standard Democrat BELL CITY -- It was almost like a flick of the switch. On Thursday night, the Bell City Lady Cubs turned up their level of intensity before sweeping the Bernie Lady Mules 25-16, 25-12 during a prep volleyball match. Bell City, which improved to 7-1 this season, received eight kills apiece from Rachel Spears and Jessica Abner. Both players were responsible for kickstarting an attack that Bernie (2-2 overall) simply could not handle... BA Promotions Volleyball Classic -- Day 1 scores (09/07/07) Friday Night Pool Play Scores St. Louis Notre Dame def. Holcomb 25-19, 25-5 Cape Central def. Clarkton 25-11, 25-7 Bernie split with Jackson 25-14, 25-23 Scott City def. Twin Rivers 25-13, 25-16 Leopold def. Perryville 25-6, 25-14 Cape Notre Dame def. Oak Ridge 25-11, 25-8... Sikeston volleyball sweeps Saxony Lutheran (09/07/07) Staff Report ~ Standard Democrat JACKSON -- The Sikeston High School varsity volleyball team evened its overall record at 1-1 Wednesday after sweeping Saxony Lutheran 25-15, 25-20. "We learned tonight that we can not take any opponents lightly," Sikeston coach Steve Beydler said. "There were too many long rallies that could have gone either way."... Notre Dame volleyball edges Bernie (09/05/07) DAR staff Jenny Eubank led Bernie with nine kills but the Mules fell 17-25, 25-23, 25-23 to Notre Dame. Amber Mirth had eight aces,16 assists and 16 digs in the loss. "We let one slip away tonight," Bernie coach Jeff Rodgers said. "We blocked really well. Jessie Alexander was the only hitter that hit the ball most of the night. If our hitters don't hit, we're not going to beat good teams period."... Boyles helps serve up win for Twin Rivers volleyball (09/05/07) By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer DONIPHAN -- Allison Boyles has been serving in volleyball since eighth grade, but the Twin Rivers senior never had a performance like this. Boyles started in the serving position for the first time this season and made the most of it Tuesday night against host Doniphan, performing not like a newcomer but a seasoned veteran. ... Poplar Bluff edges Puxico in heated volleyball opener (08/29/07) By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer With the stifling heat inside Peters Gym actually putting to shame the conditions outside, the Poplar Bluff volleyball team outlasted the visitors from Puxico in its first match of the season, 25-15, 18-25, 25-21. "We knew coming in that it was going to be hot, but we didn't know it would be this hot," Puxico coach Karen Hazel said of the conditions... St. Vincent tops Cubs for tourney title (09/02/07) St. Vincent defeated Bell City in three Saturday afternoon to win its second straight championship in the Notre Dame VolleyballFest. The Indians won a battle between a Class 2 district champion and a Class 1 final four team from a year ago. In other tournament games, Perryville beat Central in the third-place match in two sets... Charleston sweeps Malden in volleyball (08/31/07) Lady Jays improve to 2-1. Bernie makes adjustment, sweeps Sikeston (08/29/07) Jeff Arenz ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- For the third consecutive year, the Sikeston High School varsity volleyball team has done the same two things -- open its season against an upstart squad from Bernie and record a loss in its first match. On Tuesday at the Sikeston High School Field House, the Lady Mules, who played for the Class 1, District 2 Tournament title in 2006, swept the Lady Bulldogs 26-24, 25-19 after rallying to claim Game 2... Sikeston volleyball hopes to break through window of opportunity (08/28/07) Jeff Arenz ~ Standard Democrat SIKESTON -- The Sikeston High School varsity volleyball team is looking to take the next step to a higher level in 2007. After completing a 19-11-1 campaign in 2006 and finishing second to Farmington in the Class 4, District 1 Tournament, the Lady Bulldogs return a talented core of athletes that have varsity-level experience... Lady Tribe gets first wins of season twice; Baker wins coaching debut (08/28/07) From staff reports DEERING, Mo. -- The Kennett Lady Indians kicked off the new volleyball season with a solid 25-18, 25-17 win against the Delta C7 Lady Chargers here Monday night. In other area sports, Kennett downed Poplar Bluff 7-2 to win its first tennis match of the season, while Delta C7 won 11-10 over Holcomb in baseball and Senath-Hornersville downed Clarkton in volleyball... Bell City wants to have serious fun on its way to a Class 1 title (08/27/07) Bell City's Rachel Spears, Jessica Abner, Jenny Lathum and Codie Lancaster know how to work hard and have fun. Spears, Abner and Lathum -- three seniors -- and junior setter Lancaster are looking to lead the Cubs to a state title after finishing in fourth place in Class 1 last year. The foursome plans to do this not only by staying after practice to improve their games, but also by mixing in a little dancing, drawing, taco-eating and singing... Change is the word: Lady Indians open season with new, yet familiar faces (08/24/07) There are many changes for the Kennett Lady Indians entering the 2007 season volleyball season. Four starters -- including Daily Dunklin Democrat Co-Player of the Year Christina Daily -- have graduated, the team is running a new offense and the Lady Tribe even has a new coach -- sort of... Five starters return for Poplar Bluff volleyball (08/24/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor A point here or a point there may have ended Poplar Bluff's streak of winning seasons last year. The Lady Mules finished 15-17 -- the first losing season since 1995 -- and in 12 of those losses, Poplar Bluff lost a game in which they scored 20 or more points... OVC's shortest player provides spark for Redhawks (08/22/07) Molly Davis, the shortest volleyball player in the Ohio Valley Conference, admitted with a smile Tuesday that she's not quite as tall as advertised. "I'm 5-1 1/2, but I go by 5-2," said the Southeast Missouri State sophomore during media day at Houck Field House. "It's what I am with my shoes on, and it sounds better."... Summer is great, but so is the fall sports season (08/19/07) I probably like summer as much, if not more, than most people. An afternoon of golf, a boat ride on the lake or a lazy, meandering float down the river. It just doesn't get any better than that. But I must admit, it's nice to see the high school fall sports season gearing up. After a ho-hum summer for local sports, the beginning of school will usher in another fun-filled season for local sports enthusiasts... Heisserer has hands full at Oran with two fall sports (08/18/07) Oran's Sara Heisserer will be pulling double duty in coaching. Not this school year, this fall. Heisserer, in her first year at her alma mater, will guide both the Oran volleyball and softball teams this season. The school district in March switched softball from spring to fall, which is when the Missouri State High School Activities Association conducts its playoff series... High school notes (06/28/07) Jackson, ND, Perryville make academic lists Jackson, Notre Dame and Perryville again claimed many places in the latest listing for Missouri State High School Activities Association's Scholastic Achivement Awards. The awards were released in the May edition of the MSHSAA Journal and include fall and winter sports teams... Wilson named Daily Dunklin Democrat Female Athlete of the Year (06/21/07) Aggressive. Naturally talented. Knows the game. Quick. Hard hitter. Those are just some of the words that describe Gideon's Lindsey Wilson, who has been named as the first-ever Daily Dunklin Democrat Female Athlete of the Year. Wilson emerged out of a talented field after earning Tri-County Conference Player of the Year in volleyball back in the fall, then earning first-team all-conference honors on the softball diamond this spring... Spring softball options shrink (04/12/07) The passion Leopold students and community members have toward volleyball is evident from the devoted following that has trailed the team from gym to gym watching the Wildcats rack up wins and postseason appearances. Leopold's spring softball team finished 9-3 last season and has started strong again this year as the program builds a competitive base. ... Daily follows in coach's footsteps (04/08/07) Christina Daily just wasn't ready to give up one of the biggest parts of her life. Now, she won't have to. The Daily Dunklin Democrat Co-Player of the Year has signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Shawnee Community College next season... Poplar Bluff junior high volleyball coach leaving after 13 years (04/08/07) By TANNER KENT ~ Sports Writer Thirteen years as head junior high volleyball coach and Carol Davis still loses sleep at nights thinking about her team. She's given thousands of serving tutorials, coached hundreds of players in hundreds of games and has left a legacy as wide as the volleyball net where she sits and watches her players scrimmage during practice. ... Southeast's six degrees of separation from NCAA title (04/04/07) The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team was 292nd among 336 teams in the RPI rankings from March 12, according to the listing on NCAAsports.com Florida, which won its second straight NCAA tournament championship by beating Ohio State 84-75 on Monday night, was No. 6 in that final RPI after jumping over Southern Illinois in the last week of the season... Redhawks sign Incarnate Word's Keaton (11/25/06) Claire Keaton of St. Louis signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Southeast Missouri State beginning in 2007. Keaton recently completed her volleyball career at Incarnate Word Academy, where she was a three-year starter and played for state championship teams in 2004 and 2005... Lancaster, Spears led Cubs to another appearance in Class 1 state tournament (11/23/06) Sophomore setter Codie Lancaster made Bell City's offense click as the floor leader. Junior hitter Rachel Spears gave the Cubs a powerful hitting option, a blocking presence at the net and was the emotional sparkplug on the court. Together, the pair led Bell City to its second straight final four appearance, and they share this year's Southeast Missourian player of the year honor... Sikeston boys grab top seed in tourney (11/21/06) Seeds for the inaugural SEMO Conference basketball tournament are out with few surprises for the early December tournament. Sikeston earned the top seed following a runner-up finish in Class 4 last year, and Charleston is seeded second following its runner-up finish in Class 3. The tournament will begin Dec. 4 at Sikeston, where it currently is scheduled to take place annually... Spears named SCAA Player of the Year (11/20/06) Bell City, Bernie and Dexter all have three selected for first-team honors Kellams named Player of the Year (11/15/06) The Portageville Lady Bulldog volleyball team had a strong season this year and the coaches didn't forget that when voting for all- conference performers. Kelly places four players on all-state softball team (11/06/06) Kelly's state final four run in softball helped the Hawks net four first-team all-state spots in the recently released Missouri Softball Coaches Association all-state team. Senior pitcher Kalie Hughes, senior catcher Summer Proctor, senior third baseman Brittany Ponder and sophomore outfielder Sarah Ruff all made the first team for Class 2... Tribe catches bad break -- literally (11/01/06) The Kennett Indians football team caught a bad break -- literally -- on the practice field Tuesday. Mark Simmons, a four-year starter on the offensive line for the Tribe, broke his tibia during practice Tuesday afternoon and will not be available for the Indians' final game of the season Friday against Perryville... Cubs dig up state appearance (10/29/06) By JEREMY JOFFRAY Southeast Missourian It was only fitting in a Class 1 quarterfinal match where all six Bell City starters reached double digits in digs, the Cubs were able to close out a tight three-game match Saturday against Bismarck with a block... Notre Dame, Scott City bow out in quarterfinals (10/29/06) Southeast Missourian Despite losing in Saturday's Class 3 quarterfinal match, Notre Dame coach Tara Stroup could find little fault with her team's performance. The Bulldogs continued their late-season surge by beating Festus 25-14, 25-14 in the sectional match at De Soto High School, but Lutheran South eliminated Notre Dame with a 25-21, 25-13 quarterfinal victory... Scott City spikers look to change sectional luck vs. Caruthersville (10/28/06) The Rams hope to break through on their fourth attempt. By JEREMY JOFFRAY Southeast Missourian The Scott City volleyball program has figured out the district tournament, winning three straight titles and four in five years. The Rams have not had any luck once they've made their way past the district tournament, losing in two games in the sectional round on all three occasions... St. Vincent spikers sweep Woodland for district crown (10/26/06) The St. Vincent volleyball team won its second straight district championship on Wednesday night, defeating Woodland 25-14, 25-20 in the Class 2 District 3 championship game at Clearwater High School in Piedmont, Mo. St. Vincent will carry a 28-6-2 record into the sectional Saturday at Bloomfield, Mo... Unbeaten New Salem eyes state volleyball title (10/26/06) New Salem Baptist Academy will put its 16-0 record against the best in the state today when the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association Division II state volleyball tournament begins in Joplin, Mo. The 10-team field is divided into two pools with the top eight teams moving on to bracket play. Along with New Salem, area rival Eagle Ridge, Christian Outreach, Riverview Bible Baptist and Liberty Christian make up Pool A... Tribe has much work to do after blowout loss at NMCC (10/25/06) After a 21-13 loss to Sikeston in week 7, it seemed that things couldn't get worse on the football field for the Kennett Indians. Then the Tribe went to New Madrid County Central last week and was hammered 42-0 by the Eagles. How bad was it? Kennett did not cross midfield on offense until the fourth quarter -- and that was after NMCC had pulled its starters -- while the Eagles defense recorded 19 tackles in the backfield, including eight sacks of quarterback Blake Parr... Lady Cubs make it four straight (10/25/06) ADVANCE -- The Bell City Lady Cubs are well no their way to building a volleyball dynasty. With Tuesday's 25-10, 25-16 victory over the Bernie Lady Mules, Bell City claimed their fourth consecutive Class 1, District 2 championship. "We ran into a buzz-saw tonight," said Bernie coach Jeff Rodgers. "If Bell City plays like they did tonight on Saturday, they will be going to Warrensburg (for the state finals). I've seen them play many times but this was the best I've ever seen them play... Scott City claims third straight district crown (10/25/06) Scott City coach Carl Ritter Jr. felt his team was not hitting the ball like it should early in the Class 2 District 2 championship Tuesday at Scott City. Once the Rams did start hitting, they were able to put Twin Rivers on the defensive and cruised to a 25-18, 25-13 sweep. It was the third straight district title for Scott City... Leopold breezes past Meadow Heights in final (10/25/06) The most serious issue facing the Leopold volleyball team on Tuesday night was how well the Wildcats would adjust to the loss of Jenny Vandeven. The 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter injured her ankle during practice on Monday, when the top-seeded Wildcats had a bye in the six-team Class 1 District 3 tournament at Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson... Rams sweep Bloomfield, reach district title match (10/24/06) Scott City's volleyball team earned a spot in the Class 2 District 2 finals with a sweep of Bloomfield on Monday in the semifinals at Scott City. The Rams will face No. 2 Twin Rivers tonight at 7 p.m. in the championship. In the first semifinal, it was the No. 1 seed Scott City romping past Bloomfield 25-10, 25-10. The Rams were led by Kacie Ritter with 21 assists, and Brooke Simpson had 10 kills and two blocks... Area teams begin defense of titles (10/23/06) Four area volleyball teams brought home district titles last season -- all in classes 1 or 2 -- and Bell City went on to place third in Class 1. The same four squads enter district play today as top seeds, and again the Cubs lead the way into the postseason... Notre Dame volleyball team spoils senior night at Leopold (10/20/06) Notre Dame continued its narrow mastery over Leopold, winning for the fourth straight time as the traditional powers matched up again in the final week of the regular season. The Bulldogs pulled out a 25-22, 25-22 victory in a meeting between programs with 25 combined district titles... Rams claim another SEMO volleyball title (10/18/06) The Scott City volleyball team clinched the SEMO Conference regular season title Tuesday by sweeping Central 25-7, 25-12 at home. The Rams (21-7-4), which claimed the conference tournament title on Saturday, were led by Kacie Ritter's 14 assists and four aces. Jenni Heisserer had eight kills and Whitney Tapley added five. Valerie Gibbons led Scott City in digs with three... Leopold stays hot, defeats St. Vincent (10/17/06) Leopold improved to 24-2 with a 25-23, 25-18 victory over visiting St. Vincent on Monday night in high school volleyball action Cassidy Seyer had a game- high 28 assists for Leopold. Casey Brooker added nine kills and five digs, while Janice Jansen contributed seven kills and eight digs... Scott City tops Central for SEMO volleyball title (10/15/06) The Scott City volleyball team cruised past Central 25-20, 25-14 on Saturday in the championship of the SEMO Conference Tournament finals. The Rams (19-7-4) won their pool by splitting with Sikeston 22-25, 25-16 in their first match of the day. Scott City then went on to sweep Chaffee 25-10, 25-13 in the semifinals... Bell City wins Stoddard Co. volleyball tourney with sweep (10/14/06) Bell City wrapped up the Stoddard County Activities Association volleyball title Friday with a 25-21, 25-14 sweep of Dexter at Bloomfield, Mo. The Cubs moved their record to 27-1 after avenging a loss in last year's tourney final to Dexter. Rachel Spears led the Cubs with seven kills. Jessica Abner, Jenny Lathum and Emilee Stephens had four kills apiece... Bell City, Dexter will decide championship (10/13/06) BLOOMFIELD -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats and the Bell City Lady Cubs are ready for a championship showdown. With victories over Bernie and Woodland, respectively, the two top seeds have made it into the finals the Stoddard County Activities Association volleyball tournament... Bell City, Woodland volleyball post SCAA tourney wins (10/11/06) Bell City and Woodland posted first-round victories Tuesday night in the Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament at Bloomfield, Mo. Top-seeded Bell City hammered the host 25-11, 24-6. Woodland, the No. 5 seed, edged fourth-seeded Advance 25-14, 24-26, 25-19... Lady Indians win on Senior night (10/04/06) Serving is arguably the most important facet of volleyball. So, it isn't too surprising that the Kennett Lady Indians stress it in practice. "We've really been working hard on our serves during practices," Kennett senior Christina Daily said. "We have to run laps for every serve we miss, so I think that's our motivation for getting our serves in."... Lady 'Cats serve up win at home (10/03/06) With the team's kill leader out with an injury, Dexter used the serving line to generate offense as the Lady Bearcats defeated the Puxico Lady Indians at home, 25-18, 25-9, in SCAA Conference volleyball action Monday night. Puxico took the jayvee match, 25-22, 28-26... Lady Indians serve Southland (09/28/06) Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season, the Kennett Lady Indians got a lift from the service line Wednesday. The Lady Indians got nine straight service points from Leanna Siebenhuener in the second set and had three players with five kills each to take a 25-15, 25-9 win over the Southland Lady Rebels in high school volleyball Wednesday... Bell City spikers cruise past Crusaders (09/27/06) Bell City's volleyball team continued to roll with a resounding 25-8, 25-19 sweep Tuesday of host Saxony Lutheran. The Cubs improved to 21-1. Bell City's lone loss came at the Notre Dame Volleyballfest to the host Bulldogs in the semifinals. Megan Slagley led Bell City (21-1) with six kills and six digs... Bell City spikers clip Leopold in three sets (09/23/06) Bell City edged host Leopold in three sets Friday in a battle of Class 1 district volleyball champions from a year ago. The Cubs recorded a 25-27, 25-23, 25-21 victory in front of a standing-room only crowd. Megan Slagley had eight kills and 13 digs for Bell City (19-1), while Jessica Abner added seven kills and three blocks, Jenny Lathum had five kills and four blocks, and Rachel Spears had six kills and five blocks... St. Vincent returns to Notre Dame, wins again (09/21/06) The Squaws improved to 21-2-2 by rallying for a three-set win. The Notre Dame volleyball team lost a home match to red-hot St. Vincent on Wednesday. After dropping the first game, St. Vincent rallied for a 19-25, 25-20, 25-18 victory. The Squaws, who won the Volleyballfest at Notre Dame to kick off their season, improved to 21-2-2... ND spikers sweep aside Crusaders (09/16/06) The Notre Dame volleyball team stayed above the .500 mark with a 25-15, 25-13 victory at home against Saxony Lutheran. Ashley Nenninger led the Bulldogs (9-7) with eight kills and two blocks. Meridith Medlin added four kills and 10 assists. Destiny Dirnberger and Emily Huber each had nine service points for Notre Dame, and Haley Bohnert added seven digs... Central soccer nips Mules in 2 OTs (09/15/06) Matt Hester scored 3 minutes into the second overtime to lift the Central boys soccer team over district rival Poplar Bluff 2-1 on Thursday night. Hester, a senior, was assisted by sophomore Lucian Johnson, who also assisted on the first goal, which was scored by sophomore Zach Zaruba in