By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Hermann will be seeking a 10th state title this week at the MSHSAA Class 2 Volleyball Championships in Kansas City.
College Heights, Maryville and Scott City, which finished runner-up to Hermann in 2008, will be going for their first.
Hermann defeated Scott City 25-23, 25-19 in Municipal Auditorium. Ash Grove rallied to beat Cole Camp 22-25, 25-22, 25-18 for third place last year.
College Heights and Maryville are in the field of four for the first time.
Records entering Friday’s preliminary round-robin matches of the competition are 36-1 for Maryville, 32-2-1 for Scott City, 27-5-2 for College Heights and 26-8-1 for Hermann.
Maryville, coached by Lori Klaus, won its first district crown since 1999.
Friday’s schedule for College Heights starts at 9 a.m. with Maryville. The Cougars tackle Hermann at 11 a.m. and Scott City at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s Class 2 schedule has the championship set for noon and consolation at 9 a.m.
Osceola ousts Liberal
The Bulldogs lost to the Indians 25-19, 25-21 in a Class 1 sectional at Lincoln on Saturday.
Osceola advanced to Kansas City by beating New Haven 25-20, 25-18 in the quarterfinal.
Said Liberal coach Russ Cramer: “Their experience and our lack of it at the sectional level got the best of us. We had seven missed serves, for example. We had other mistakes we normally don’t make.
“Our girls played hard and really got after it,” Cramer said.
Liberal leaders included a trio of sophomores — Kori Dodson (seven kills, 11 digs), Kaycia Fry (three blocks) and Kendall Kirby (seven assists).
Liberal finished 18-13 overall in its first season under Cramer.
Class 3 honors
Carl Junction’s Katelyn Joyner is among five area players on the Southwest All-Region Team.
The team was selected by the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association.
Joining Joyner are McDonald County’s Shaye Buttram, East Newton’s Katy Cooper, Cassville’s Marti Richmiller and Mount Vernon’s Kenzie Williams.
The second team includes Mackenzie Valenti of Carl Junction, Jessica Curl of Mount Vernon and Ryan Parsons of McDonald County.
Aurora’s Bethany Decker and Cassville’s Olivia Cline received honorable mention.
