SEMO Dig for Life Tournament Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Pool A</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Saxony Lutheran – 1^st</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bell City – 2^nd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lesterville – 3^rd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clarkton – 4^th</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saxony is the team to beat in this pool but will have their hands full with the three Class 1 teams in the pool. Bell City, Lesterville, and Clarkton will battle it out for second place with Bell City finishing up by winning the split with Lesterville. <strong>Grace Ozark, Paige Seibel</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='240203' first='Clara' last='Brune']</strong> have Saxony firing on all cylinders taking the pool title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Pool B</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Advance – 1^st</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Iron – 3^rd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cape Central – 4^th</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valle Catholic – 2^nd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defending Class 1 champion Hornets are back at the tournament and will win the pool over Valle Catholic. <strong>Addison</strong> <strong>Carlton, Brogan Hawkins</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='237006' first='Emma' last='Eilers']</strong> are digging machines to keep the offense humming along with the Pool title. Valle fights off South Iron to finish in second place.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Pool C</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Vincent – 2^nd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gideon – 3^rd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Poplar Bluff – 4^th</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']– 1^st</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills'] and St. Vincent battle for the pool title and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='170395' first='Madison' last='Dunn']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='451406' first='Blair' last='Sitton'] </strong>overwhelm St. Vincent at the net for the pool title. St. Vincent gets the job done against a gritty Gideon team to take the second-place spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Pool D</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fredericktown – 1^st</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cape Notre Dame – 2^nd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dexter – 4^th</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Winona – 3^rd</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The BlackCats have just enough to split past Notre Dame for the pool title. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='170040' first='PJ' last='Reutzel'], Alli Francis,</strong> and<strong> Amelia Miller </strong>helped Fredericktown squeak out the pool title having to overcome one of the best 2026 middle blockers in the state, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='225325' first='Kate' last='Rubel'].</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Crossover Matches</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1A) <strong>Saxony</strong> vs. 4D) Dexter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1B) <strong>Advance </strong>vs. 4C) Poplar Bluff</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1C) <strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']</strong> vs. 4B) Cape Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1D) <strong>Fredericktown</strong> vs. 4A) Clarkton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2A) <strong>Bell City</strong> vs 3D) Winona</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2B) <strong>Valle</strong> vs. 3C) Gideon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2C) <strong>St. Vincent</strong> vs. 3B) South Iron</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2D) <strong>Cape Notre Dame</strong> vs. 3A) Lesterville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>1^st Round Bracket Play</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Saxony</strong> vs. Gideon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Advance</strong> vs. Winona</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']</strong> vs. Lesterville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fredericktown</strong> vs. South Iron</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bell City</strong> vs. Poplar Bluff</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Valle </strong>vs. Dexter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Vincent</strong> vs. Clarkton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Notre Dame</strong> vs. Cape Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Quarterfinals</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saxony vs. <strong>Advance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']</strong> vs. Fredericktown</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='168900' first='Alexis' last='Hoffman'] </strong>and <strong>Abigail Kennedy</strong> help propel Advance to a 2-1 win over Saxony. <strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']</strong> has a monster block in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='451406' first='Blair' last='Sitton']</strong> and gets enough defense from <strong>Avery Johnson</strong> to give the Rebels a 2-0 win over Fredericktown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bell City vs. <strong>Valle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Vincent vs. <strong>Notre Dame</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='168910' first='Ade' last='Weiler'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='195376' first='Makayla' last='Joggerst']</strong> do it on both sides of the ball and push Valle into the semifinals with a 2-0 win over Bell City. [player_tooltip player_id='225325' first='Kate' last='Rubel'] is a monster in the middle and gives Notre Dame the 2-1 edge over St. Vincent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Semifinals </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Advance vs. <strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Valle</strong> vs. Notre Dame</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='170395' first='Madison' last='Dunn']</strong> is huge in this match and plays tremendously in the backcourt to give <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='451406' first='Blair' last='Sitton']</strong> enough chances to get the edge over Advance 2-1. Valle is more experienced and defensively stronger than the Bulldogs to take a 2-1 win to move into the finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Finals</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valle vs. <strong>Central [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two played the last day of August and it was a bitter battle till the end. [program_tooltip program_id='428790' first='Park' last='Hills'] Central would take the win 16-14 in the 5^th. Valle won every aspect of the previous match except for the 16 service errors. <strong>Ava Bauman</strong> and <strong>Ada Bley</strong> have a big match defensively at the net, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='737615' first='Abree' last='Zipprich']</strong> spreads the offense around to all her guns. <strong>Maddison Dunn, Blair</strong> <strong>Sitton</strong>, and <strong>Avery Johnson</strong> are ferocious at the net for Central, and<strong> Kelsie Politte</strong> takes care of the backcourt but in the end, Central will outlast Valle in a 2-1 marathon. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->