Rachel Crader is the editor of semoball.com. She graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May of 2009 before spending the summer covering the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Highlights from Rachel's days in college include having a class down the hall from Chase Daniel and having NCAA wrestling champion Ben Askren hold the door open for her at Brady Commons, Mizzou's student center. She spent time covering Mizzou basketball, softball and baseball while working for the Columbia Missourian and is excited to return home to Southeast Missouri to cover local sports for semoball.com.

Rachel has covered three Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournaments for the Southeast Missourian and semoball.com, and she'll see you courtside again this year.

Leopold-Zalma: Who wins?

Posted Thursday, September 23, 2010, at 4:32 PM

I'm am getting ready to put on my favorite black skirt and shirt and my pink cropped cardigan and head out to Leopold for the (hopefully) epic Leopold-Zalma volleyball game tonight.

Normally I'd leave my wardrobe choices out of these things, but tonight is apparently Wear Pink Night (perhaps there is a more official name I'm not aware of) and everyone planning to attend has been asked to wear pink in support of breast cancer research/fundraising/survivors. Who am I to refuse such a noble cause?

Leopold and Zalma are both state-ranked, of course. Zalma defeated Leopold in the teams' first matchup this season at the Woodland Tournament.

That match was played during the first week of the season, so it will be interesting to see if Leopold, which had to make a lot of line up changes entering the season, has caught up or if Zalma can slay what I presume to be its biggest rival at the moment again. Of course, it probably helps Leopold that it gets to play on its home floor, but I'm sure Zalma will bring a big crowd as well.

I'm looking forward to the chance to watch both teams in action. Should be fun. I'll have a story on semoball and in tomorrow's Missourian and if anything else strikes me I'll post it here. We'll have a photo gallery from the match as well.

But for now: Whom (right grammar/language/usage experts?) are you picking?

Comments

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Leopold in 2

-- Posted by joefrank78 on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 4:44 PM
the pold

-- Posted by jumpball on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 4:45 PM
Since its at Leopold I will say Leopold in 3 very close games. Rachel will you be giving updates?

-- Posted by semovolleyball on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 5:31 PM
I will give as many updates as my cell service will allow.

-- Posted by Rachel Crader on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 5:38 PM
I'm in the building...with three bars of service! I'll update here.

-- Posted by Rachel Crader on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 6:28 PM
Waiting for the updates! There appears to be a big crowd.

-- Posted by HFChapel on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 6:56 PM
Text message received reports first game 25 - 22 Leopold; second game 22 -- 25 Zalma. On to the third.

-- Posted by HFChapel on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 7:54 PM
Third game 28 - 26 Leopold. Reports are that it was a spectacular game.

-- Posted by HFChapel on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 8:16 PM
Oops -- score for second game was 21 - 25 Zalma.

-- Posted by HFChapel on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 8:43 PM
Once the varsity game started my phone went from having three bars to literally saying "No Service." Talk about frustrating. Luckily Dustin was sitting in a better spot and could update the forums, so I gave up and focused on the game. I've finished my story, but I might add a few thoughts here later.

-- Posted by Rachel Crader on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 11:17 PM
I didn't have good service. The trick to getting posts through when you have poor service is laying your phone down flat on the bleachers and then pressing the submit button. I had to do this several times. I even had to turn my phone off once.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 11:36 PM
Thanks for finding a way! I tried the turn-the-phone-off trick, but it didn't work and I needed to pay attention..super frustrating.

What a match, though. Both teams played great.

I've got some post-match analysis, but I'm not sure if I should share it now or wait for these teams to meet again.

-- Posted by Rachel Crader on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 11:47 PM
No guarantee the teams will meet again. Meadow Heights could have something to say about this. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Meadow Heights / Zalma game Friday night.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 11:51 PM
It will also be interesting to see which team gets the No. 1 seed in districts. This could be an advantage.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 11:53 PM
That was the best volleyball our beloved old blue gym has seen in years!!

-- Posted by farminmarsh on Fri, Sep 24, 2010, at 1:31 AM
I won't disagree. It was a very good game.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Fri, Sep 24, 2010, at 3:42 AM

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