Republic volleyball coach Allison Davis challenged her players all week to make a statement against Central Ozark Conference rival Carl Junction, and the message came through loud and clear. The Lady Tigers fought through mistakes to topple the Bulldogs in five sets Thursday, 25-11, 25-27, 25-21, 17-25, 15-10. The match was marked by swings in momentum and a final push that delivered Republic’s first regular-season win over Carl Junction since 2012.
But it wasn’t easy. After ripping through the first set in dominating fashion, Republic lost its momentum.
“That first set was probably one of the best starts that we’ve had. I was super proud of that,” said Davis. “We played so well that first set that I think that we just got a little bit relaxed, and that’s the difference between the first and second set.”
Carl Junction stayed close throughout the second set and used a late surge to edge Republic 27-25. Republic returned the favor in a close third set, but the Bulldogs tied the match again with a 25-17 win in the fourth.
“The sets that we did not do very well in, our stats will show, we killed ourselves. Our serve receive started getting a little bit weak. We had some hitting errors. We’ve got to be more disciplined, and we have got to make them earn their points and not just hand them over.”
Instead of folding after a difficult fourth set, the Lady Tigers returned to what made them successful early. After years of disappointment against Carl Junction, Davis said her team’s competitiveness stood out during the final set.
“They wanted it,” she said. “We talked about it before our pregame, and I encouraged my seniors and all my players to , ‘This is your legacy that you’re leaving behind. You have the opportunity to change what has happened and be a part of the team that made those changes.’ talking and I wanted my seniors to know this is your legacy that you’re leaving behind. You want to be a part of that team that makes those changes for this program, and they did that tonight.”
Republic’s standout player, Rilynn Finley, put up impressive numbers with 26 kills, 4 blocks, 17 digs, and 2 service aces. Brooklyn Claxton led the team with 35 assists. Alaina Norman added 12 kills and 12 digs, and Addison Fanning and Reese Frey held strong defensively with 12 and 14 digs, respectively.
The win improves Republic’s overall record to 18-4. It’s the eighth win in a row for the Lady Tigers, who will play in the Liberator Invite this weekend with a chance to hit the 20-win mark for the second season in a row.
“I am so just stinking proud of them,” Davis said of her team. “They gave everything they had tonight. They wanted it. They could have folded and they just didn’t. They were mentally tough… they overcame it and accomplished and executed exactly what they wanted.”