A total of 11 area players were selected to the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association all-state team earlier this month. The Jefferson City Lady Jays and the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons each had three all-state honorees. Helias, California, Eldon, Southern Boone and Versailles each had one player named to the all-state team.
Back on Jan. 17, the Fatima Lady Comets dropped a 51-34 decision to the Owensville Dutchgirls in Westphalia. It was time for the Lady Comets to decide what kind of season it was going to be. “After that game, I told them everything was here to win a district title,” Fatima coach Matt Baker said. “You’re talented, it’s just a matter of trusting it and putting it together. And they did it.”
The Blair Oaks Lady Falcons earned the No. 1 seed in the Class 4 District 10 Tournament by virtue of defeating each of the other five teams in the district during the regular season. But when the Lady Falcons lost their starting point guard to a season-ending knee injury in the regular-season finale, they went from being the favorites to facing a steep uphill climb to begin their postseason.
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.