By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

PUXICO - The DMS Volleyball team swept the finals of the Stoddard County Tournament on Tuesday night; the seventh grade squad downed Bloomfield in two sets, while the eighth grade defeated Advance in two sets.

For the second time in as many years, both teams finished with undefeated records.

The seventh grade picked up a close 25-21 win in the first set, led by Ashlyn Wyman's seven points from the service line. In the second set, Lexi May put seven points on the board in the 25-17 victory.

"I felt like my girls were fired up and ready for the challenge. Overall, the girls hustled and worked hard," head coach Melissa Hahn noted. "I thought Emily Page did an excellent job on the back row. She made some great passes which allowed us to hit the ball and get some momentum in the game. Sydney Rogers had a great night at the net."

The seventh grade squad had an undefeated regular season, including first place finishes in both the Poplar Bluff Invitational Tournament and the SCAA Tournament.

The eighth grade squad faced off against Advance for the title; the Hornets were one of the few teams to take the 'Cats to three sets this season.

"Advance came in to the game off of a big win over 2nd seeded Bernie on Monday night," Hahn said. "We went three sets with them earlier in the year and I knew this was going to be a tight game."

The Bearcats came out on top 25-15 in the first set. Brittany Brown led the way with an eight point rally in the set.

"We were hitting the ball well, but Advance was picking up almost everything we sent over," Hahn said. "We really had to fight hard to earn every point. We just couldn't find a "hole" on their side of the court, but we kept playing our game and hitting the ball. I was proud of how the girls communicated and kept each other fired up on the court."

In the second set, the Bearcats and Hornets battled for control of the scoreboard. The 'Cats were able to put together a late rally and take a 25-22 victory.

"Missed serves also kept us from keeping momentum for long. The girls would have a great pass, good set and hard hit and look great and then let one slip in over the blocker, or miss a serve," Hahn said. "Advance deserves a lot of credit, they were picking up our serves, hits and even our tips over their blockers. They are a great defensive team. However, we never gave up, kept working hard and pulled it out when it mattered most."

With the win, the eighth grade squad sealed an undefeated career at DMS, including back-to-back SCAA Championships and first place finishes in the Poplar Bluff Invitational Tournament as seventh graders and the Bernie Eighth Grade Tournament this year.

"I am eager to see these girls play at the next level," Hahn said of her eighth grade team.

Photo Above: The seventh and eighth grade squads pose with their first-place trophies from the 2012 SCAA Volleyball Tournament. (Submitted photo by Lori Hawkins; thanks Lori!)