Poplar Bluff volleyball team rallies to win on Senior Night

Poplar Bluff's Khelie Spence (22) spikes over a block by Lesterville during a match Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

DAR/Brian Rosener

Poplar Bluff’s six seniors started together on Senior Night then pulled out a three-set victory Tuesday.

Kiley Bess, Ady Kingree, Caitlynn Newton, Haley Slaughter, Khelie Spence and Emily Spencer were honored prior to the match and each had a hand in a 20-25, 25-16, 25-19 comeback victory over Lesterville at the Senior High Gym.

“Bittersweet,” said Bess who had a team-high 15 kills. “I just love playing with these girls. It’s just a lot of fun. To get the win it’s just icing on the cake.”

The Mules (11-5), who lost to Farmington the previous night, couldn’t overcome an 8-0 Bearcat run in the opening set but forced a third with a 9-2 run after the teams were tied for the seventh time in the second.

Lesterville overcame an early five-point deficit in the third to pull even at 18-all as the teams traded points on 10 consecutive serves with the Mules leading by one.

“We’ve been working on if we miss a point then we get it right back the very next point,” Bess said. “We kind of struggled with that earlier in the season but we’re doing pretty good.”

Mallory Polk, Lesterville’s leading hitter at 5.7 kills per set, tied it at 19-all but Spence answered with a spike in the middle to give Poplar Bluff the lead. Kingree added to the lead on a dump that fell in and Slaughter put down a free ball at the net. Spence got a kill off a block of Polk’s spike after a timeout then teamed up with Slaughter for another block of Polk. Spence’s kill in the middle closed it out as the Mules scored the final six points of the match then celebrated with tears.

“It’s always emotional,” Mules coach Aimie Simmers said. “You come in with those high emotions from the get-go and then you end like that it’s really special to see.”

Spence had nine kills and five blocks, Slaughter led with a pair of aces and six digs to go with seven assists. Spencer chipped in four digs, Kingree had a pair and Newton dropped in an ace.

The juniors helped with Zoe Savat leading with nine assists, Sierra Sievers added eight and a kill while Hannah Corcimiglia and Emma Johnson each had three kills.

“I think we couldn’t be the way we are if we didn’t have every piece on the court, everybody means something on the court,” Bess said of the team’s depth.

“We always try to bring each other up even if we’re down,” Bess added. “That’s what I love about them.”

Lesterville (7-4-2) led by as much as eight in the opening set but the Mules closed the deficit to 23-20 after a diving dig by Slaughter kept a rally going and Spence had an ace.

Poplar Bluff’s comeback fell short after an attack that sailed long and a pass into the net.

With all six seniors starting together for the first time this season, Simmers said this group is very unselfish and want what is best for the team.

“They are so important because you have to have somebody to force you to play hard,” Simmers said of her reserves. “Whenever you have girls like that, even they are the most supportive people I’ve ever met in my life. You don’t get that very often.”

Newton’s ace came during a three-point run early in the opening game to give the Mules a 5-3 lead while Spencer made a diving dig to keep a rally going with the Mules up 16-15 in the third.

“That’s what I like to see,” Simmers said. “I don’t like it whenever they don’t get recognized. They put in the same amount of work so it’s nice seeing them all play equally.”

Lesterville won the junior varsity match 7-25, 25-21, 16-14.