Volleyballers earn 20th on Senior Night

Republic volleyball made quick work of Neosho on Senior Night Thursday, beating the Wildcats 25-16, 25-12, 25-8. The win was the 20th of the season for Republic, and it improved the Lady Tigers' record to 2-0 in the Central Ozark Conference.

Before the match, Republic honored three seniors — Kaemyn Bekemeier, Claire Esther, and Kailey Manes. They were freshmen when Allison Davis became the Republic volleyball coach.

"They’re the first group I’ve seen through the program all four years. And we got a great add-in last year with Claire," Davis said. "These seniors have been a positive representation of this volleyball program on and off the court. They're coachable, competitive, but kind to the younger kids in our program.

"I always tell the seniors, 'What type of legacy do you want to leave? How do you want to be remembered?' These three seniors are leading this team positively and the effects of that are evident," Davis continued. "They’re just good kids. These past four years have flown by, and I can’t imagine not having them — but we still have a lot of season to enjoy these girls."

Republic has won 20 games in a season for the first time since 2013.