Republic beat Branson 3-1 in its home opener Monday, settling in after dropping the first set 22-25. The Lady Tigers won the next three sets 25-19, 25-21 and 25-12.
Kate Mitchell led Republic with 17 kills and two blocks. Reese Finley and Addyson Warner had 14 digs each, and Audrey Pearce contributed five service aces. Finley added 26 assists.
“Our goal after that first set was just eliminating the errors on our side,” said coach Allison Davis. “In that first set, our serve-receive was a little off.”
After watching Branson play at its own tournament on Saturday, Davis knew her team would face a rough challenge on Tuesday, but they improved throughout the night to grab a big early-season win against a district opponent.
“We had a game plan,” Davis said. “We scouted them over the weekend and we told them exactly what’s going to help us win this game. And they listened. They’re coachable.”
Republic improves to 3-1-1. The Lady Tigers travel to Ozark on Thursday.
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