By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Willard, Mo. — Reports of Ozark volleyball’s demise have been greatly exaggerated … yet again.
While teams such as Kickapoo and Rogersville claimed early season victories over the Lady Tigers (firsts for both in nearly a decade of play), Willard wasn’t quite as fortunate Thursday night.
The white Tigers fell in straight sets, 25-23 and 25-17 and yielded control of the COC Large race to what has become an annual nemesis.
After a slow start in the first set, Ozark managed a late, five-point rally to take its first lead of the match. A pair of kills from senior Sidney Branson helped pace the red Tigers, who stretched the lead to 20-17 before Willard was finally able to kill the run.
Willard fought back and tied the game up twice, at 21-all and 23-all; however, senior Macey Putt’s kill closed out the set for the red Tiger squad.
While Ozark head coach Adeana Brewer lamented the slow start, she praised her team’s ability to fight through the early adversity.
“We’re not a quick-start team,” Brewer said. “For some odd reason, we weren’t shaken with the other team ahead a few points. Maybe we’ve gotten used to it that way, where they’re confident in their ability to claw their way out of a two- or three-point deficit. It’s not the most comforting thing as a coach but, nonetheless, they don’t get rattled by it.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MATCH
In the second set, Ozark was able to jump out to an early 8-4 lead on the strength of its imposing front line.
Putt, Branson, Julia McCown and Katie Vorhies all notched kills in the opening run, something Willard head coach Jamalee Hancock was hoping to avoid.
“We struggled a little bit with our blocking in that second set, and they found our holes,” Hancock said. “They’ve got great weapons, and it makes it hard for any high school team to get a closed block every time, and that block is really important.”
Midway through the set, Willard responded with a six-point run to tie the match at 12-all. Senior Brooke Willard’s solid service game helped lead the white Tiger comeback.
“They scored some points at the service line,” Brewer said. “They got us out of system, our serve-receive kind of broke down a little bit and we didn’t have the best attack attempts. We didn’t get the best looks, and then we didn’t make the best decisions with those balls.”
Unfortunately for Willard, the momentum shift ended just as quickly as it began.
With junior setter Kennedee Anderson rotated into the service line, Ozark shifted three hitters up to the net … and those hitters went to work.
Putt and Vorhies led an eight-point rally to give Ozark a commanding, 22-13 lead.
With all facets of the Ozark attack in sync, Putt found an apt cross-sport comparison.
“When we get on a run, serving is just like a free-throw in basketball,” Putt said. “And then our defense was really good. When our defense is good, our hitting is normally on, and that really helps.”
A Kara Finkbiner kill ended the Ozark run, but the damage had already been done at that point.
Following a pair of side-outs, Branson scored the final kill of the match to send Ozark home with a 25-23, 25-17 victory.
After the match, Hancock talked about not wanting to give up the big runs to a dangerous opponent.
“You can’t dig a hole with Ozark,” Hancock said. “You know they’re going to come in confident, and that’s a huge advantage for any team with the success they’ve had. They expect to win, too, and if they get behind, they’re not rattled, either.
Finkbiner led Willard with six kills, Willard tallied eight assists and Kennedy Atkinson notched five digs in the match.
Ozark was led by Putt’s nine kills, Anderson’s 27 assists and Brynn Bonewell’s 13 digs.
After a quick turnaround, Ozark (17-4-1) is back in action Friday in the St. Joe Volleyball Triangular, while Willard (25-3-1) travels to Carl Junction on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
Varsity final: Ozark – 2, Willard – 0 (25-23, 25-17)
JV final: Willard – 2, Ozark – 0 (25-19, 26-24)
Frosh final: Ozark -2, Willard – 1 (25-21, 17-25, 15-9)
