Republic won four straight matches at the Branson Invitational Saturday before running into eventual tournament champion Helias, which ended the Lady Tigers’ run in the semifinals, 25-12, 25-23.
Before that, nobody had stayed within four points of Republic in any set.
The Lady Tigers swept through pool play without dropping a set, beating Kearney 25-13, 25-20, Fair Grove 25-15, 25-21, and East Newton 25-20, 25-22. That earned Republic the number-one seed in bracket play, where they drew East Newton again in the quarterfinals. Republic fell behind early in that one, but climbed out of the deficit and pulled away for a 25-16, 25-15 win.
In the semifinals, Helias controlled the first set, but Republic pushed the second set to the wire before falling 25-23. Helias went on to win the tournament.
Coach Allison Davis said the weekend showed her what her team is capable of.
“This is just a small speck of what we are going to do this season,” Davis said. “The little glimpse that I got today — it’s promising. Our potential, it’s crazy.”
Game page →Davis also pointed to her team’s depth. With a deep bench, she was able to rotate players in without the level of play dropping off.
“It’s awesome to have the options that I have when somebody needs a mental break, and then (they’re) able to come back in and fight through that,” she said. “I think just the numbers that I have and the potential — this tournament has helped me see it’s going to be a fun season.”
Republic finished the tournament 4-1.
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