Republic’s three seniors led the Lady Tigers past Carthage 25-12, 25-21, 18-25, 25-15 on Senior Night Tuesday, keeping Republic unbeaten in Central Ozark Conference West play.
Kate Mitchell had 10 kills* and five blocks, Addyson Warner had 16 digs and Reese Finley had 22 assists. The win sets up a COC West title match with Webb City Thursday at Republic. If Republic wins, it would clinch its first conference championship since sharing the COC title in 2011.
Carthage came to Republic with 20 wins. Republic scored the first seven points of the match, starting with an ace by Audrey Pearce, and led 14-1 on the way to a 25-12 first set.
Carthage led 14-12 in the second set, which had 11 ties and seven lead changes. Mitchell broke a 21-21 tie with a kill, blocked a Carthage attack for a 23-21 lead and ended the set with another kill.
Carthage scored the first two points of the third set and never trailed, leading 19-12 and 22-13 before winning 25-18.
Republic led 2-1 in the fourth set when Warner, the senior libero, sent a ball high from the back row that dropped untouched just beyond the net. That goes down as a kill in the stat book, and Warner believes it was the first of her varsity career. Republic led 10-5 and 14-6, then scored four straight points to go from 20-13 to 24-13 and won the set 25-15.
Game page →“All of them have been in the program for the last four years. Actually since middle school,” Republic coach Allison Davis said of the seniors. “So the leadership has been outstanding.
“The relationships that they’ve developed throughout the years and the positivity and the culture that they’ve brought to this program is irreplaceable,” Davis said.
Rylee Vent also had 10 kills, Chloe Pullan had 22 assists and Pearce served three aces.
Republic’s JV lost 25-18, 26-24. The freshman team won 25-21, 25-12.
The Lady Tigers are 15-11 and 4-0 in the COC West. They host Webb City Thursday at 7 p.m. with the West title on the line, then open the Class 5 District 5 tournament against Branson Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
*Stats are unofficial
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