Exciting Tournament Highlights

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the volleyball season heats up, numerous teams are showcasing their talent in various tournaments across the region. From impressive sweeps to hard-fought victories, here's a look at the standout performances from this week's action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Point Grizzlies – Orchard Farm Tournament</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The North Point Grizzlies dominated the Orchard Farm Tournament, sweeping through their matches with style. They earned victories over Duchesne, Wright City, Union, and Collinsville, IL, improving their record to an impressive 17-2. [player_tooltip player_id='618831' first='Albany' last='Humphrey'] leds the team with 133 kills, while [player_tooltip player_id='776996' first='Miley' last='Poeling'] leads in assists with 265. Libero Libbie Meek anchors the defense with 195 digs. Up next, the Grizzlies will compete in the Troy Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ellington Whippets – Clearwater Tournament and Black River League Tournament</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Ellington Whippets are on fire! They faced a tough challenge in the finals against Fredericktown but emerged victorious with a 26-24, 21-25, 25-7 to win the Clearwater Tournament. During pool play, the Whippets swept past West County, Arcadia Valley, and Greenville before defeating Valley in the semifinals. They capped off their success by winning their first Black River League Tournament in decades, sweeping Bunker and South Iron. Ellington now boasts a record of 18-3-1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mid-Buchanan – Lathrop Tournament Champs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Dragons of Mid-Buchanan stormed through the Lathrop Tournament, winning all their matches in straight sets against Cameron, Trenton, and Lathrop. They faced Plattsburg in the finals, winning 25-16, 22-25, 25-7. Notable performances included five blocks from [player_tooltip player_id='811576' first='Bailey' last='Coman'] and 2029 Bintley Barton, along with 26 assists from [player_tooltip player_id='725066' first='Myia' last='Dillman']. The Dragons will face a significant challenge next as they travel to Rolla to compete against Rogersville and Summit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jefferson – Cuba Tournament</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jefferson began pool play with a split against Licking but quickly turned things around, ultimately winning the tournament title. They swept Belle, Herculaneum, Viburnum, and Steelville before defeating Licking again in the finals with scores of 25-18, 25-22. [player_tooltip player_id='797702' first='Peyton' last='Guffey'] and Haley Ditch anchored the defense with 21 digs. Jefferson's record stands at 12-10-4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rock Port – Nodaway-Holt Tournament</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rock Port is enjoying a fantastic season, now standing at 17-2-2 after winning the Nodaway Holt Tournament. They secured sweeps against North Platte and Mound City, had a split with South Holt, and triumphed over St. Joseph Christian in the finals with scores of 25-17, 27-25. 2029 Stevie Gaines leads the team in assists with 201.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Timberland Wolves – Seckman Tournament</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Timberland Wolves showcased their skills at the Seckman Tournament, defeating Ladue, Festus, Bishop DuBourg, and Fox. They secured a spot in the finals with a 2-1 win over Ladue, where they claimed the championship with a hard-fought 22-25, 25-20, 25-22 victory over host Seckman. Abbi Bishop led the team with 12 kills, while [player_tooltip player_id='798062' first='Riley' last='Shelton'] recorded 16 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pleasant Hill – Central Missouri Volleyball Invitational</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a rocky start to the season at 1-9, the Pleasant Hill Chicks found their rhythm, winning the inaugural Central Missouri Volleyball Invitational. They swept Kingsville, Holden, and Tipton, while splitting matches with East Buchanan and Lone Jack. In the championship match against Butler, the Chicks prevailed with scores of 27-29, 25-13, 25-12. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='488383' first='Miley' last='Layton'] led the charge with 17 kills, while 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='507591' first='Addison' last='Brazzle'] contributed 13 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lee's Summit West – MOKAN Tournament</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Titans of Lee's Summit West hosted one of the toughest tournaments in the state, featuring top teams from Missouri and Kansas. They knocked off the previously undefeated Lafayette team in a thrilling match (21-25, 25-23, 25-13) and went on to sweep Kansas teams Blue Valley North, Bishop Miege, and St. Thomas Aquinas. In the title match against Blue Valley West, they secured victory with scores of 13-25, 28-26, 25-23. 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='813193' first='Emma' last='Friedline'] recorded four blocks, while 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='800285' first='Andi' last='Gardner'] made a significant impact with 21 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->