The Blair Oaks volleyball dynasty wouldn’t be complete without the greatest comeback in program history. So the Lady Falcons decided to rewrite history themselves. Blair Oaks rallied from a two-set deficit Friday morning, completing its three-peat with a 19-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-18, 15-8 comeback victory against the Ursuline Academy Bears in the Class 3 state championship match at the Show Me Center.
The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons came up just short against the Clayton Lady Greyhounds, forcing a fifth and deciding set for the last spot in the Class 3 state semifinals. Clayton should have had the momentum at that point. The Lady Greyhounds were one set from reaching their first Final Four. But when the Lady Falcons broke their huddle at the end of the three-minute break before they started the fifth set, they were the more upbeat team, as if they had won the fourth set. The enthusiasm was contagious, and it helped the Lady Falcons get back to the Final Four.
For the first time in five years, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons and the Fulton Lady Hornets will meet on the volleyball court. And the stakes couldn’t be any higher. Blair Oaks will continue its push for a third consecutive state championship tonight in a Class 3 state sectional matchup at Fulton. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
With the calendar turning the page to the month of October, it very much felt like postseason volleyball Tuesday night at Blair Oaks High School. In a match that was a constant back-and-forth battle, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons had the final run that secured a 25-19, 24-26, 25-21, 29-27 victory against the Helias Lady Crusaders.
It was Maddie Mitchell’s world Tuesday night, and everyone else was living in it. The Jefferson City junior right-side hitter/setter nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 13 kills, 11 assists and nine digs to lead the Lady Jays to a 25-22, 25-15, 25-23 sweep of the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons at Blair Oaks High School.