District Dominators: Portageville claims third consecutive championship with win over East Prairie

Portageville's Ja'Niya Smith (13) goes for a spike during a 3-0 win over East Prairie in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

MALDEN, Mo. — Three proved to be the magic number for Portageville volleyball on Monday, October 23, as the team continued its reign of terror in the district, defeating East Prairie in straight sets to claim a third consecutive MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship.

Ja'Niya Smith was a force of nature in the match, raining down kills like thunderbolts from the sky that pounded the defense into the ground. The Lady Eagles (10-15-2) had no answer for her power and precision, as she drove the Lady Bulldogs (28-4-2) to set score wins of 25-11, 25-7 and 25-20.

“[Smith] was on fire," said Portageville coach Sasha Kellams. "She's transformed from a defensive specialist last year to a powerhouse middle hitter this year. It was a new spot for her, but she embraced it and became a dominant force. Her growing confidence and momentum are exciting to see. I look forward to seeing how she continues to blossom and grow as a player."

Portageville celebrates during a 3-0 win over East Prairie in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

Despite East Prairie's early 3-2 lead, Portageville rallied off 12 straight points to take a commanding 17-5 lead, thanks in large part to the serving of Glo Farmer, who had three aces during the stretch, and the killing of Bryleigh Adams and Laney Stone. The Lady Eagles tried to mount a comeback with an ace by Lydia Valencia and kills by Sydney Aycock and Jerzey Vinson late in the set, but the Lady Bulldogs never relinquished control, winning the first set 25-11.

"We're thrilled to be here and grateful for the opportunity to three-peat as district champions," Kellams said. "This is a special moment for everyone involved in the program, and it means the world to us to bring home the title again."

After a block by Jayla Weddington and a kill from Adams put Portageville ahead, Smith took over the second set with back-to-back kills. She then continued her dominance with three straight monster kills, overwhelming the East Prairie defense and increasing the lead to 13-6. The Lady Bulldogs closed out the set with kills from Weddington, Farmer, and Smith to win 25-7.

Portageville stands for a picture after winning its third consecutive district championship with a 3-0 victory over East Prairie at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

"It's special to keep this going," Kellams said. "We've stayed focused and driven, but our goals extend beyond the district championship. We want to go much further this year. We're focused on Thursday night and making sure our road doesn't end there."

The Lady Eagles jumped out to another early lead in the third set, but Portageville refused to be denied. Smith led the charge, recording several key kills to help the Lady Bulldogs tie the score at 8-8.

Smith and Farmer then each added two kills to put Portageville ahead 13-11.

East Prairie stands for a photo after claiming second place in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Tournament at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

East Prairie battled back to retake the lead at 15-14, but Smith once again came up big with two straight kills to tie the score at 19-19.

Aycock gave the Lady Eagles a 20-19 advantage, but Portageville finished the match on a 6-0 run, capped off by two more kills from Smith. Weddington and Mia Scherer also contributed to the final run with a kill and an ace, respectively.

"I wasn't happy with our performance in the third set, but I was impressed with our mental toughness to overcome it," Kellams said. "Everyone has moments where they come out a little flat, but the ability to bounce back is a hallmark of great teams. We talk about that a lot, and it's one of the things that sets us apart."

East Prairie's Remi Cade (13) digs during a loss to Portageville in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

Portageville will host Scott City (18-11-3) in the sectional round on Thursday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs are looking to break through and reach the state quarterfinals after falling in the sectional round the past two years.

East Prairie finished second in the district for the second consecutive year, a remarkable turnaround for a program that had only won six games in its first three seasons after reviving the sport in 2018.

The Lady Eagles have gone 30-25-3 over the past two seasons, a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and coaches.

Portageville's Glo Farmer (11) digs during a 3-0 win over East Prairie in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

"We're thrilled to add another plaque to our collection," said East Prairie coach Kelle Goodding "Volleyball is a relatively new sport at our school, so we don't have a trophy case yet, but we're getting one. I've coached these seniors since they were in seventh grade, and I can't imagine coaching a season without them. They've taught me so much, and we've learned together. It's bittersweet to see them go."

Goodding was pleased to see her team get back to its identity in the third set, with Ella Dunn's unique and difficult-to-defend serve providing a spark.

"I was hopeful that we could extend the match after the way we played in the third set," Goodding said. "Everyone got back to playing their game, but we just couldn't pull it off. Dunn's serving is so difficult to receive in practice that we dread it. No matter what you do, it seems to find you in the chest. We knew we could use her serve to our advantage, and she still had plenty of gas in the tank. Her serving helped us to get back into the match and gave our girls some confidence. They started to believe in themselves and I could see my team again.

Portageville's Jayla Weddington (3) goes for a block during a 3-0 win over East Prairie in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

“Aycock was on fire too, with some impressive hits,” Goodding added. “She and [Valencia] also adapted well to the hitters, getting some key blocks. It wasn't enough to overcome Portageville's firepower, but it helped us to play more competitively in the third set.”

With a talented core of players returning that includes Aycock, Dunn, Olivia Hayes, Remi Cade and Maryn Grissom, a strong junior varsity team and an athletic freshmen class, East Prairie is poised to continue its ascension in the years to come.

“We’re excited about the future because of the buy-in we’ve seen from the players and parents,” Gooding concluded. “Everyone is already excited for the camps and events we have planned for next summer. The commitment is there and they are eager to help this program take the next step.”

East Prairie's Ella Dunn (2) serves during a loss to Portageville in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

Portageville and East Prairie advance to district championship

MALDEN, Mo. — Portageville and East Prairie will meet for the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship on Monday, October 23.

The No. 2 seeded Lady Bulldogs (27-4-2) advanced to the title game after defeating No. 3 seed Malden in straight sets (25-15, 25-16, 25-18) on Thursday, October 19. It was the third time Portageville beat its rival this season.

Portageville's Bryleigh Adams (5) gets a kill during a 3-0 win over East Prairie in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Championship at Malden High School on Monday, October 23, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

The Lady Bulldogs’ top performers were Glo Farmer (14 digs, 10 kills, three aces, one assist and one block), Aaliyah Larry (12 assists, seven digs, one kill and one ace), Ja’Niya Smith (13 digs, nine kills and one assist), Jayla Weddington (eight kills, four digs and one assist), Laney Stone (15 digs, seven kills and one assist), Mia Scherer (20 assists and eight digs), Taryn Irby (four digs and three kills) and Bryleigh Adams (seven digs, two kills and one ace).

The No. 5 seed Lady Eagles (12-12-2) avenged an earlier season loss with an upset victory over top-seeded Senath-Hornersville (14-13-2) in five sets (24-26, 25-19, 16-25, 25-19, 15-10).

“We had lost to [Senath-Hornersville] earlier in the season, so the team was fired up for a rematch,” said East Prairie coach Kelle Goodding. “One of our goals this season was to make it back to the finals, today at school the students and teachers were pumped up about our win and that has really fanned the fire under the girls.”

East Prairie’s top performers were Lydia Valencia (five kills, five digs, three aces, one assist and two blocks), Olivia Hayes (16 assists, 12 digs, seven aces and seven kills), Sydney Aycock (seven kills, five digs, three aces, three assists and two blocks), Jerzey Vinson (14 kills, 12 assists, nine assists and two aces) Remi Cade (nine digs and two assists), Kylee Gilliam (eight digs, two kills, one assist and one ace), Alison Miller (nine digs and one assist) and Maryn Grissom (four digs).