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Greatest season in Jackson VB history ends once against in C5 quarterfinals
For the third year in a row, the Jackson volleyball team ran into the brick wall that is the Lafayette Lancers.
For the third year in a row, a promising Indians season ends with a three-set loss (25-13, 25-8, 25-15) against the two-time defending Class 5 state champions on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Wildwood.
“We showed up to play Lafayette and our girls and our team and our coaches, we believed we could beat them, and that's all I can ask for coming into the game,” Jackson head coach Dave Mirly said. “In reality, they are extremely good, the best, most talented team in the state. And the fact that we walked in believing we could win says a lot about our program and what we're doing.”
Lafayette defeated Jackson in the past two Class 5 quarterfinals on its way to winning the state championship. The Lancers have dominated the volleyball landscape in Missouri since 2011, winning eight state championships in 10 appearances, including a six-title streak from 2011-16.
After their performance against the Indians, the Lancers seem well on their way to the threepeat.
“Lafayette played outstanding against us,” Mirly said. “When they do that, we have to play almost better than perfect, and we just couldn't quite do that today.”
Despite the ending, the 2024 season will go down for Jackson as the best in school history. The Indians set a record for wins with 33 and Mirly himself has reached legendary status with his 500th career win. A remarkable feat considering the previous season’s squad had three NCAA Division I commitments and the team had to reload when two of them graduated.
“No matter what happened today, it was going to be the greatest season in the history of Jackson volleyball,” Mirly said. “Every girl is playing for the first time all season long in these big games and they just did outstanding and exceeded my expectations over and over and over again. I thought 24 wins this season would be a great year for this group that just didn't have a lot of experience playing varsity. They shattered that by not losing a game in October, winning the Jackson tournament, it's just remarkable what they accomplished and our seniors just did a great job in making sure everybody else is ready to play.”
Katie St. John, a SEMO commit, led the Indians with six kills, while Lauren Dorey led with nine assists. St. John made a position change from the left to the right side of the net this season out of necessity and it led to her finishing her senior season with 444 kills and leading the Indians to a banner year.
“This year was a huge chance that we took, but I believed on paper that it was the best move for our team and Katie bought into it on day one and it made us the best we could possibly be,” Mirly said. “That’s just all Katie being so coachable and being willing to do whatever takes to be successful.”
The 2024 season will go down as the year the Indians finally defeated their nemesis Cor Jesu not just for the first time ever but twice. St. John’s 19 kills led the Indians to a win over the Chargers at their place for their sixth straight district title.
It will be up to Ava Wessell and Jayde Cowart to lead her fellow future seniors and the rest of the team next year with the goal of topping this season. Cowart showed her potential by taking the best that the Lancers could send her way and maintaining composure.
“Lafayette went right after her, and I think five straight passes, she made a perfect pass,” Mirly said. “She's ready to step up and be a force on our team next year. Ava Wessel has been starting for two years. She knows that this is going to be a big senior year for and she wants to make next year better than this year.“