By John Miller (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The streak is over.
After opening the season with 20 straight wins, the Willard Tigers lost for the first time on Thursday, falling in three sets to Rogersville in a battle between two of southwest Missouri’s better teams, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25.
Both teams showcased dominance and also flirted with trouble at times while turning in one of the more entertaining matches of the season.
“We talked a lot about remaining calm and having composure,” Rogersville coach Jamalee Hancock said. “We know they’ve got a good team and we’ve got a great team. I was proud of the fact that in three sets, we didn’t let a lot of runs go even though we got behind, our girls stayed composed.”
Rogersville (16-2-1) may have edged out Willard (20-1) in the end, but the match was up for grabs.
“It could have gone either way,” Hancock said. “Rogersville is a great team, but I was super proud of all our kids. Obviously, there were some points here and there that we could have cleaned up and maybe would have made a difference. But it’s a big boost of confidence for us every time we’re out here playing at a high level, which is what we did tonight.”
Rogersville jumped on Willard to a 7-3 lead in the opening set before the Tigers found their traction. Willard scored five of the next six points, and it was nip and tuck until the end. A few unforced errors by the Wildcats helped Willard gain some separation and take the first set.
“It was a back and forth match,” Rogersville coach Tammy Miller said. “I don’t know how many times the lead was exchanged.”
Willard opened the second set with a 5-1 lead before Rogersville rallied, scoring 10 of the next 13 points. The set wasn’t without some drama from Rogersville, who watched Willard climb back into it before Birdie Hendrickson pummeled home back-to-back kills to close the set out 25-23.
“They frustrated us to the point that we totally quit talking and stopped doing things we normally had been doing,” Miller said. “We had that kind of fear factor, but the kids held their own. All season, we’ll get down eight or nine points, and I’ve kind of realized with this group that it doesn’t faze them. It fazes me but it doesn’t faze them.”
The third set was a battle. Neither side grabbed a lead of more than three points, and there were 12 different lead changes.
“In that last set, the girls didn’t get rattled,” Miller said. “They just held their composure. They had great plays when they needed to have great plays. They played great defense when they needed to play great defense.”
The set was tied 23-23 when a long rally ended with Willard able to clear the net. Allie Gipson finished it off with a kill on the next point for the Wildcats.
Rogersville 2, Willard 1
Rogersville 22 25 25
Willard 25 23 23
