Playing its sixth match in four days, Republic fell into an early hole and couldn’t climb out, losing to Lebanon for the second time this season, 8-25, 23-25, 25-17, 20-25.
The Lady Tigers had lost a close match to the Yellowjackets over the weekend, dropping a best-of-three in the third set at the Branson Invitational. But Tuesday at home, Lebanon built on its fast start, squeaking out the key second set as Republic got its footing.
The Lady Tigers rebounded in the third, but ran out of gas in the fourth. The front-line defense, which has played a big role in Republic’s early success, posted only three blocks in four sets Tuesday. Claire Esther, Avery Riggs, and Rilynn Finley each had one.
Kaemyn Bekemeier led the team with 16 kills, and Esther had 11 digs. Bekemeier and Brooklyn Claxton each had two service aces, and Payge Plank dished out 37 assists.
