Class 5 Final Four Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Missouri is lucky to have two writers who focus on the happenings across the state. Therefore, you can have two uniquely different previews leading into tomorrow! While my colleague Ryan resides on the East side of the state, I lay my head on the West side, therefore there are things I know more about teams this way and vice versa. Here is my preview of what to expect in the state final four.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinal Matchups:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lafayette (30-5)vs. Liberty (28-6)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lafayette enters the tournament as the defending state champion and rolled to the final four with a sweep of Jackson. Liberty took care of Lee's Summit West in four sets. This match comes down to "the others" in my opinion. Which group of supporting casts will rise to the occasion? For Lafayette, [player_tooltip player_id='475339' first='Shaye' last='Witherspoon'] has 424 kills on the year. Big sister [player_tooltip player_id='153929' first='Maya' last='Witherspoon'] has 390 of her own. That's over 800 kills between the duo. If those two can't get going, who will be the person to find points? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side of the net, [player_tooltip player_id='153930' first='Abigail' last='Mullen'] is the go-to player with 530 kills. The team will need big matches from [player_tooltip player_id='219760' first='Megan' last='Bishton'] or [player_tooltip player_id='542173' first='Katelyn' last='Spengler'] to keep up with the two on the other side. Addi Weise has been stellar defensively for the champs and will look to keep balls on the floor. Her counterpart, [player_tooltip player_id='261289' first='Ella' last='Anderson'] will attempt to do the same for the Blue Jays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lafayette has two players who can take over a game at any moment. On paper, you'd be surprised to know Liberty has more kills but I think the Witherspoon sisters take it up a notch and help Lafayette get the win. The Lancers have demonstrated consistent performance throughout the season, showcasing a balanced offense and solid defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Francis Howell (27-7) vs. Ozark (37-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second semifinal features Howell and Ozark. Howell won their quarterfinal match in four sets while Ozark made quick work of Blue Springs South in their match. Francis Howell has been steady this season and strategic in their gameplay and teamwork. They will continue to aim to leverage these strengths when they take on Ozark. They have a star in [player_tooltip player_id='170047' first='Danielle' last='Moore'], who will attempt to carry the team on her back offensively as she enters with over 600 kills on the season. Morgan Dumm has been a headache for teams behind the service line, leading the team with 58 aces. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To match the firepower for Howell, Ozark will depend on Tera Venable to continue her strong play in this contest. She has 499 kills in her junior season. The key however will be how the block and back row defends Moore. Brinley Watson has just under 100 blocks on the year and they will need her to display a big presence at the net. Ozark is an aggressive team and counters with a strong defense. They're a team you can't make many mistakes against. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An interesting stat I discovered is Ozark is 16-2 in matches on neutral courts while Howell is only 8-5. I like Ozark to get it done and advance to the finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->