OAK GROVE, Mo. (Sept. 4, 2024) — The Excelsior Springs volleyball teams faced a tough challenge as they were swept by Oak Grove across all levels. Despite some strong individual performances, the Tigers were unable to overcome the Panthers’ attack.
Varsity
The varsity Tigers battled hard but ultimately lost to the Panthers in three straight sets: 14-25, 15-25, and 10-25.
Oak Grove controlled much of the match with their offense, but Excelsior Springs had moments of strong play from key athletes. Junior Jordin Price led the Tigers with 4 kills, while senior Samantha Shue and sophomore Bayli Crowley each contributed 2 kills. Senior setter Lillah Shue played an important role with 10 assists, orchestrating the Tigers’ offensive efforts.
On defense, Lillah Shue was a standout, recording 6 digs. Maddie Breshears had a strong match with 13 receptions, while senior Brooklyn Sharp contributed 5 digs and a perfect serve reception rate.
Junior Varsity
The JV volleyball team fought hard but ultimately lost a spirited match in two sets. Oak Grove edged out the first set in a nail-biter, winning 27-25, before taking control in the second set with a 25-9 victory.
The Tigers showed flashes of promise, with junior Bella Desautels leading the attack with 3 kills, while freshmen Mia Boudreaux and Izabella Maxwell contributed 1 and 2 kills, respectively. Sophomore Kendalyn Jones added a solid performance with 3 assists, and her strong serving helped keep the team in the game, boasting a 100% service rate with 4 points.
Defensively, junior Neveah Happy was a standout, tallying 10 digs, with sophomore Lara Hutton contributing 5 digs of her own. The team managed 20 total digs in the match.
Freshmen
The freshman volleyball team fought hard but were unable to overcome the Panthers, dropping the match in two sets, 12-25 and 23-25.
While the team struggled early in the first set, they regrouped and mounted a strong comeback in the second set, coming close to forcing a decisive third set. Freshman Mariana Lloyd led the Tigers with 4 assists and contributed defensively with 5 digs. Madison Whitworth and Libby Ringenberg added a kill each, with Whitworth also tallying 2 service aces.
On defense, Lloyd and Whitworth were key players, each making big plays, while Emily Hillyard and Ringenberg contributed to a total of 15 digs for the team.
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