Republic survived a sweltering night at Central, edging the Bulldogs 25-21, 13-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9 in a five-set battle.
The heat inside The Pit was oppressive, with no air conditioning and a noisy gym adding to the challenge. Sweat on the floor slowed play at times, but Republic pushed through, even without injured top hitter Reese Finley.
Kate Mitchell delivered 17 kills and four blocks to pace the offense. Addyson Warner finished with 14 digs and four aces, and Bria Claxton handed out 24 assists.
Coach Allison Davis said the conditions made the win as much mental as physical. “Central is a good team. They’re a different team than what I’ve seen in the past. Did we do some good things tonight? Yes. Do we have things that we need to work through? Absolutely. Tonight, I feel like it’s a win in the mental part… it’s a win, and we’re gonna take that.”
Unforced errors nearly cost Republic, but the Lady Tigers steadied late to close out the deciding set. The JV and freshman teams also earned sweeps earlier in the night.
Republic evened its varsity record at 7-7-1, with the Springfield Classic coming up this weekend.
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