Dexter, Missouri – The #1 seed Lady Bearcats defeated the #5 seed Fredericktown Blackcats 25-18, 25-13 in the Class 3, District 1 semifinal Monday evening.
Dexter with a 27-3-1 record advances to the District Championship game on Wednesday when they play the #2 seed Perryville Pirates who have a record of 24-8-1. Game time is 6 p.m. at the Bearcat Event Center!
The Bearcats took a few minutes to find their groove, but once they did it was all Fredericktown could do to keep up. The Blackcats led by as much as 5 points at one point in the first set. The Bearcats owned the second set scoring seven straight points early.
“I just told them I have coached a lot of years and I have never had a good first-round District game as the #1 seed,” stated Dexter’s head coach Carmen Morgan. “I don’t know why it is, but it seems like you look past that game a little bit even though you say you are not going to and then you just get a little tight. Hopefully, we have gotten that out of our system tonight and will be ready for a battle on Wednesday.”
Julia Hahn recorded a team-high 5 digs followed by Ashlyn Werneck with 4 digs. Brittany Brown tallied 3 digs and Jessica Lindsey and Shyann Jines each added 2 digs.
Krysten Garrison and Jessica Lindsey tallied team-high 5 kills each. Shyann Jines added 4 kills and Lexie Barnes added 3 kills.
Shyann Jines served two aces along with Jessica Lindsey and Brittany Brown who each served an ace.
“Fredericktown is a team that is kind of hard to play because they don’t hit straight down,” commented Coach Morgan. “Why we weren’t hitting the ball I don’t know, but we were trying to put the ball behind the block some in the middle. They have a setter that runs behind the block all the time so there is no opening there for us to go to.”
Other scores in the Class 3, District 1 games which were also played on Monday. Notre Dame seeded #3 beat Doniphan 25-13, 25-22 and Fredericktown defeated Kennett 25-13, 25-22 in quarterfinal games. Perryville then defeated Notre Dame 25-12, 25-19 in other semifinal action.
“It should be a good game,” Morgan stated. “I think between Notre Dame, Perryville and us anybody on any given night can beat anybody else. But we will be ready for battle. We went up and played Perryville a good game last Thursday evening so we should be on our game and ready to go.”
The last year Dexter brought home a District win was in 2000. They had a tremendous run in the 1990’s with District Titles winning every year from 1991 – 1999 and then in 2000. Let’s make this a year to remember and come out and support the Lady ‘Cats as they compete in the District Championship at home in the Bearcat Event Center!!!! #GoBearcats!
