SHS volleyball falls to Caruthersville in straight sets

SIKESTON -- The Lady Bulldog volleyball team suffered a straight-set loss, 17-25 and 19-25, to Caruthersville on Monday at the Field House.

"Tonight we were very sluggish out of the gate and never seemed to get into sync," said Sikeston coach Steve Beydler. "We began to make a little bit more of a match toward the middle of the second game, but, ultimately, it was too little, too late."

Serving leaders for Sikeston were Quinn Kaiser (10-10, 1 ace) Kiarra Morris (8-11, three aces), Amber Anthony (6-6, 2 aces), Emily Taylor (4-4), Audra Wooley (2-2) and Berneatress Hunt (4-4).

Wooley and Hunt led in kills with three each while Anthony added two. Hunt was also the block leader with four and Morris had two.

Quinn Kaiser led the Lady Bulldogs in assists with five.

Sikeston's junior varsity won in three sets, 25-19, 21-25 and 25-15.

Gina Davis (13-15, four aces), Destinee Walker (11-12, five aces), Rachel Beydler (9-10, three aces), Megan Underhill (8-8, four aces) led Sikeston's service statistics.

Martika Davis and Rachel Beydler led in kills with three and two, respectively.

Sikeston hosts Portageville today.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Jenni DeWitt, Sikeston's No. 1 singles player, garnered the only win in the final regular-season match for the Lady Bulldogs against Cape Central on Monday.

"Jenni played an excellent match," said Sikeston coach Lynne DeWitt. "Chelsea (Gilliland) and Tess (Marshall) also had good matches. The scores don't reflect their play as they had many long points."

Sikeston's junior varsity was swept by Central, 0-12.

The Lady Bulldogs also participated in a doubles tournament in Jackson on Saturday.

The team of DeWitt and Gilliland were the lone Sikeston placers with a first in the Flight 1 Division. In their opening match, they defeated the Farmington duo of Katie Edney and Monica Wolo, 8-6, then won their semifinal match against the Dexter team of Molly Jarrell and Amanda Dooley by an identical 8-6 score.

In the championship match, DeWitt and Gilliland defeated the Jackson team of Jessica Drum and Maddy Bruegging.

Sikeston opens district play as the host team on Thursday.

Varsity results

Singles

1. Jenni DeWitt (S) def. Dani Gross, 8-1.

2. Monica Toole (C) def. Chelsea Gilliland, 8-3.

3. Brett Ford (C) def. Tess Marshall, 8-3.

4. Liz LaFoe (C) def. Brittney Bohannon, 8-1.

5. Sarah Ford (C) def. Emily Bowman, 8-0,

6. Lindsey Pingel (C) def. Jessica Colwick, 8-1.

Doubles

1. Gross/Ford (C) def. DeWitt/Gilliland, 8-6.

2. Toole/LaFoe (C) def. Bowman/Bohannon, 8-3.

3. Ford/Pingel (C) def. Marshall/Colwick, 8-2.

JV results

Singles

1. Maggie Limbaugh (C) def. Hallie Lambert, 6-0.

2. Jull Blattner (C) def. Ali Fox, 6-1.

3. Paige Foley (C) def. Ellie Hensley, 6-1.

4. Brittney Hiett (C) def. Danielle Ahlfield, 6-2.

5. Kristian Ford (C) def. Brittney Bard, 6-1.

6. Claire Segar (C) def. Lamechia Armstrong, 6-0.

7. Emily Hiett (C) def. Adrienne Angelos, 7-5.

8. Kaitlyn Spalding (C) def. Jessica Kruger, 6-1.

Doubles

1. Limbaugh/Blattner (C) def. Lambert/Fox, 6-0.

2. Foley/B. Hiett (C) def. Hensley/Bard, 6-1.

3. Bahn/Tobin (C) def. Ahlfield/Armstrong, 6-4.

4. Moll/Spalding (C) def. Kruger/Angelos, 6-1.

SOCCER

FREDERICKTOWN -- Sikeston's soccer team shut out Fredericktown 2-0 on Monday to improve its season record to 7-6-1.

Sikeston sophomore Blake Taylor scored both goals, the first on an assist from Martin Schaefer at the 46-minute mark, the second on an assist from J. R. Bizzell at the 60-minute mark.

Taylor, a hot scorer for the Bulldogs in recent contests, closed on leading scorer Bizzell with his ninth and 10th goals. Bizzell leads the team with 12.

Sikeston outshot the Black Cats 35-4.

"We controlled the game all the way," said Sikeston coach Derrick Long. "It was just a matter of time before we found the net."

Sophomore goalie Scott Droddy saved the four Fredericktown shots.

The Bulldog junior varsity did not play.

Sikeston travels to Notre Dame, 1-0 double-overtime winner in their last meeting, for a varsity/junior varsity matchup today.

SOFTBALL

BENTON -- The Kelly Lady Hawks blanked Jackson 9-0 in its regular-season finale on Monday.

Kelly's senior pitching duo of Whitney Beggs and Kelly Essner combined on a perfect-game performance in a pre-district tuneup against the Lady Indians. Beggs, the starter and winner, went four innings and struck out eight, while Essner closed the last three innings with five strikeouts.

The Kelly win assured both a SEMO Conference title and positive momentum going into next week's Class 2, District 1 competition.

"That was a good way to close it out," said Kelly coach Rhonda Ratledge. "The girls put the ball in play, executed well and that's exactly where a coach wants her team to be heading into districts. They're ready for districts and, hopefully, further."

The Lady Hawks scored three runs in the first and six in the third.

Mindy Robert paced the 11-hit offense with a 3-for-4 day. The Lady Hawk cleanup hitter tripled and drove home three runs. Rachel Kline and Jessica Burnett collected two hits apiece and Burnett added a RBI.

Kelly (19-6) was scheduled to meet Dongola (Ill.) on Friday, but Dongola forfeited.

Next up for the Lady Hawks is district play at St. Vincent of Perryville on Thursday at 4 p.m.