Dexter, Missouri - The junior varsity Lady Cats volleyball team came from behind in the third set to defeat the Kennett JV Indians 25-10, 20-25, 25-18 in their first game of the season.
“Coach Pulley has done an amazing job with those girls,” Morgan said of the JV team. “We’ve got some short little girls and we have also got two girls out.”
“One girl will be back on Thursday night and the other next week so once we get to add that in we have got three sophomores out on the floor and they will do a great job,” continued Morgan.
“Maci Daniels and Megan Trout have stepped up and provided so much leadership on the floor, and there is such an improvement in those girls from last year,” stated Morgan. “I think we will be OK, but we have some short girls and they hung in there and got the job done tonight!”
The JV Volleyball team (1-0) will be back in action on Thursday when they host Jackson at the Bearcat Event Center. Game time is 6:00 p.m.
Shown in the photo is sophomore Megan Trout.
Dexter, Missouri - The defending 2014 District Champions took to the court at the home opener against Kennett and proved their competitiveness as one of the leading volleyball teams in southeast Missouri.
The Lady Varsity Cats hammered out 21 kills in their two sets against the Lady Indians defeating them 25-11, 25-12.
“We did pretty well once we settled down,” commented Dexter’s head volleyball coach Carmen Morgan. “At the very beginning we looked nervous and I knew they were going to be that way even though they said they weren’t.”
“When you tense up your muscles that doesn’t work well so our passes killed us at the very start of the game. We weren’t passing and we are a pretty good passing team for the most part. After they relaxed their shoulders and muscles a little bit and started calling the ball they started doing what they could do,” continued Morgan. "We missed five serves and that’s not something we like to do. We want to get that cleaned up, but all-around they did well for their first game and I was not unhappy at all.”
Krysten Garrison tallied a team-high seven kills for Dexter. Lexie Barnes recorded five kills and Addie Kruse added four kills. Kendall Adams scored three kills and Julia Hahn recorded two kills.
Hannah Thurmon earned herself three blocks.
Garrison and Bailey Williams each had 11 assists.
“Everybody can hit on this team,” Morgan said. “That’s the nice thing. You can tell we have some height. Hannah Thurmon is tall and puts up a formidable block. Krysten Garrison and Addie Kruse both have height and then you’ve got some smaller girls like Lexi Barnes and Julia Hahn that jump high. Kendall Adams and Janie Lindsey also have good height. I said at the beginning this team is well-rounded and that’s what it takes. Everybody has learned to rely on each other and that’s important. I also have a couple of sophomore setters doing a good job.”
The Lady Cats (1-0) will return on Thursday night at the Bearcat Event Center when they host the Jackson Lady Indians. Game time is 6:00 p.m.
“Jackson is always a tough opponent,” Morgan stated. “I really haven’t taken the time to look to see how many they graduated. I do know they graduated some good girls, but it seems to me like they had a pretty good JV last year, so we will have a tough go of it, but that’s what we want.”
Shown in the photo is senior Brittany Brown.
Charleston, Missouri - The Lady Bearcats tennis team improved their record to 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon defeating Charleston 9-0 on the road.
Dexter’s Alexis May defeated Nyla Murray 8-0 in the #1 varsity singles match.
Macy Urhahn beat Charleston’s Coreyanna Frazier 8-0 in the #2 singles match.
Nicole Sells beat Cameron Wince 8-0 in the #3 varsity singles match.
Rachel Singh defeated Shantaria Bigham 8-0 in the #4 varsity singles match.
Kalee Howard beat Ashonta Keyerra Whitney 8-1 in the #5 varsity singles match.
Reagan Miller defeated Savannah Wilkerson 8-0 in the #6 singles match.
In doubles matches, Lexi May/Macy Urhahn beat Wince/Bigham 8-0 in the #1 varsity match.
Nicole Sells/Rachel Singh beat Whitney/Wilkerson 8-0 in the #2 varsity doubles match.
Kalee Howard/Reagan Miller beat Frazier/Zakyrah Curtis 8-0 in the #3 varsity doubles match.
The Lady Cats played the Bluejays to a 3-3 tie in the junior varsity action.
Morgan Aldridge of Dexter won her JV singles match 6-0. She also won her varsity doubles match 6-0 with partner Abby Dorton.
Kirsten Teffertiller and Hannah Bien won their junior varsity doubles match 7-6.
Dexter will be back in action on Thursday, August 27th at 4:00 p.m. when they travel to Cape Central.
Shown in the photo is Alexis May of Dexter. Photo provided by Kevin Pritchett, KPKronicle.
Bloomfield, Missouri - At 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 29, Phil Dixon, author of several books about the Negro Baseball League and co-founder of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO, will speak at the Stars and Stripes Museum/Library about the Kansas City Monarchs. Mr. Dixon’s ”Monarchs in Our Hometown” tour is taking him to cities and towns where the Monarchs once played league and exhibition games between 1920 and 1965.
Dexter is one of the towns that the Monarchs played exhibition games when they challenged the Dexter Red Sox. Some of the Red Sox’s team members during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s were: Joel Brown, "Lefty" Harness, Gene Nichols, Matt Edwards, Perry Daniel, Charles Hart, Cletus Dodge, Dal Daniel, Clyde Martin, Zip Kruse, Dick Martin, John Hart, Yeuell Hall, Grundy Turlington, Mason Poinset and John Pritchett.
In 1940, the Monarchs won the Negro American League title following unforgettable outings from Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Booker McDaniels. McDaniels started the game in Dexter and eventually held out for the win.
“My mission is to educate people about the goodwill and positive race relations the league and its players generated, and to ensure that future generations know of the important role Kansas City’s Monarchs played in baseball history; history that was often made right in their hometowns,” said Dixon. “I believe the audiences feel my passion, dedication and commitment to the history I convey. Today, more than ever, I understand how African-American players lived and traveled – the sacrifice they made to play baseball. Perhaps everyone I’ve touched does also.”
This presentation will be of interest to baseball fans of all ages.
Dexter, Missouri - The Lady Cats volleyball team has high expectations this year. They return several starters from the 2014 season. They had a tremendous year winning the SCAA Tournament, the 48-Dig for Life Classic for the first time in school history and won the Class 3, District 1 volleyball tournament for the first time in 14 years.
“We graduated two strong players for us who provided a lot of leadership,” stated head volleyball coach Carmen Morgan. "But I think our team this year is maybe a more well-rounded team as far as the whole makeup of the team. I think at anytime we could have four or five sophomores out on the floor. That's young and with that comes what I call 'emotional immaturity' more than playing immaturity for them.
"We also have three seniors - Brittany Brown, Kendall Adams and Julia Hahn. They have a role on this team and are filling it very well. They've stepped in and are doing what they need to do. I have a strong bench this year, which is something I have not had in years past at this school. I've got players who can come in off the bench, step right into the spot and do the job for us."
The 2015 Bearcat roster consists of Kendall Adams, Brittany Brown and Julia Hahn (seniors), Ashlynn Wyman, Janie Lindsey, Madison McConnell, and Emily Page (juniors), Bailee Williams Lexie Barnes, Krysten Garrison, Hannah Thurmon, Megan Trout and Addie Kruse (sophomores).
"We've got to have leadership, and it's nice to have senior leadership, and we will get some senior leadership, I'm sure," Morgan stated. "But other people can step up too. You either lead by example or you lead vocally or verbally. Some of our players are kind of quite and are going to lead more by example."
"I think the big thing for us this year is we have to be able to play without worrying about making mistakes," continued Morgan. "The thing I saw this summer with these kids is they want to do everything perfect. We wouldn't even have competitive sports if that's the way it was. You cannot play without making some mistakes. So basically my big goal is to get them playing at their optimal level when the going is tough. If we can do that by the end of the season that's going to make our emotional maturity just a little bit better."
Volleyball has become a game for tall girls and Dexter has five that Coach Morgan considers to be tall. She also explained that she has girls that can jump and don’t have to be tall. With that combination the Lady Cats may be unstoppable on the floor!
The Bearcats will play in their first tournament on September 4th and 5th at the Notre Dame Volleyball Fest. Dexter will also defend their championship and compete in the Dig for Life Classic held on September 11th and 12th. Dexter will also host the 2015 SCAA Tournament slated for the second week in October.
“The Notre Dame Tournament is packed,” Morgan said. “Helias and Lafayette are in it and it’s going to be a tough, tough tournament.”
Dexter is slated to compete in Class 3, District 1, with Doniphan, Fredericktown, Kennett, Notre Dame and Perryville at the end of the season at Notre Dame Regional High School.
"The district is always going to be brutal," Morgan said. "Not only the district, but the next round of state is brutal. Perryville is like us. I think they lost five starters, but they've got some young kids coming up and Dave will always have them playing strong by the end of the season. Notre Dame only lost one player last year so they are loaded. Those are always the strongest contenders that we see."
Starla Pulley will be the Lady Cats’ new assistant coach this year. She served as the head volleyball coach at Bloomfield before taking the head coaching position for the Dexter Softball Team.
"She brings in 11 years of experience and is doing a great job," Morgan said of Pulley. "I'm excited to get to work with her and that our team is going to get to work with her as an assistant coach."
