Kennett volleyball team extends win streak to 4-0

Sophomore Olivia Raspberry rises up for a hit in the final set against Doniphan.

Photo by Kaelin Triggs, Delta Dunklin Democrat

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians volleyball team defeated Doniphan to extend their win streak to 4-0.

The Indians, coached by Kristy Green, were happy to pick up this win after they lost to Doniphan early on in the 2023 season.

“With such a young roster, this was a loss we took last year,” Green said. “I was proud to see the growth displayed on the floor and have them come grab that win back.”

They were able to flip the script as the team is a year older. After getting swept by Doniphan last year, they beat the Donettes 3-0 this year.

Olivia Raspberry led the charge for the Indians with 13 kills. Along with Raspberry, who had five kills off of seven hits in the first set, Ella Gardner and Lillianna Wilson also had four individual kills of their own in the first set.

Lillianna Wilson put up seven assists in the first match to establish the offensive threat for Kennett. Her and Gardner led the team with assists. Lillianna Wilson recorded 19 while Gardner put up 16 of her own.

It was a bumpy start for the Donettes, as they only scored five points in the first round. Kynsley McCaig had a seven point service run at the start of the match. Lilliana Wilson also had a seven point service run during the first set to give the Indians a 18-4 lead. Isabella Wilson ended the set with four unanswered serves, including an ace, for a 25-7 first set win.

Isabella Wilson had two aces on the night. She also led the team with three blocks in the first set. Along with Isabella, Tayja Carter and Raspberry recording two aces of their own throughout the match.

In the second set, Doniphan found a little bit more of a spark. However, Kennett still took the set 25-14 behind Raspberry’s swinging, adding four more kills to her stat sheet. She also recorded two blocks and her second of the two aces she had in the match.

To complete the sweep for the Indians, they took set three with a 25-9 victory. Carter went on a six point serving run for a 15-4 lead. The match was then closed off by Raspberry’s six point service run. She had another four kills in the final set.

Gardner recorded five kills in the last set. She had 10 total points off of kills against the Donettes.

McCaig led the Indians with 11 digs while Baylee Wilcut recorded seven on the night.

After this match, Green said she is excited to see the growth from her players compared to last season.

In the 2023 season, with a 3-1 start, the Indians won 9 sets while losing four in a four game stretch. This season, through four games, they have not dropped a single set yet. They are 12-0 with four clean sweeps.

“We wanted to elevate everything from last season,” Green said. “They are a year older now, they have a little bit better volleyball IQ and they are a lot stronger. Our workouts in the summer really helped.”

With their 4-0 start, the Indians currently sit at the top of their Class 3 District 1 assignment. Right behind them is Notre Dame with a 3-1 record. Doniphan falls to last as they continue to search for their first win of the season.

Next, Kennett will host Malden on Thursday, Sep. 12 before traveling to Cape Girardeau for the SEMO Dig for Life Tournament. This tournament will be on Friday, Sep. 12 and Saturday, Sep. 13.