The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons played like they had been there before. A championship match called for a championship effort.
And the Lady Falcons delivered.
Blair Oaks finished its perfect postseason Friday afternoon, sweeping the Pleasant Hill Chicks for a 25-15, 25-8, 25-23 victory in the Class 3 state championship match at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. The Lady Falcons won all 15 sets this postseason, finishing the year with a 33-3-1 record.
Much like their earlier matches in the postseason, the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons found themselves trailing in the first set Thursday afternoon. And just like each of those earlier matches, they rallied to win that first set, then finished off a sweep. The Blair Oaks volleyball team has yet to lose a set this postseason, and that streak continued with a 25-23, 25-17, 25-17 win against the Eldon Lady Mustangs in the Class 3 state semifinals at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.
The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons are becoming familiar with their Tri-County Conference foes on the volleyball court this season. Very familiar. After playing all seven conference teams in the regular season, Blair Oaks has already ended the season for three Tri-County teams - Boonville, California and Hallsville - this postseason. The Lady Falcons will try to end state championship dreams for a fourth conference team today, as they match up against the Eldon Lady Mustangs in the Class 3 state semifinals.
The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons finally broke through last season, snapping a 10-year stretch without a postseason berth while winning the program’s first volleyball state championship. But winning back-to-back district titles? To do that, they would have to win on the home floor of the No. 3-ranked team in the state, the California Lady Pintos. As if this Tri-County Conference rivalry needed any more flair.
It wasn’t a win, but the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons saw tough competition Thursday night, which is the point of playing the Rock Bridge Bruins as the regular season winds down.