Republic volleyball's district upset bid falls short

Kickapoo was reeling on its home floor in the district volleyball semifinals, but Republic
couldn't deliver the knockout blow. Republic won the first two sets, but Kickapoo (26-7)
kept its composure and fought back to win three sets in a row, coming from behind to
advance to the district championship match against top-seeded Nixa (22-25 22-25 25-14
25-16 15-8).
"I’m proud of the way our team played and performed as a whole," Coach Allison Davis
said. "Whether they were on the bench encouraging the girls on the floor, or on the floor,
they came in ready to give it all. That win would have been awesome after all their hard
work, but I’m still proud of them and the fight they gave."
Davis also called out her two seniors for their leadership through the season.
"I want to thank our two seniors for being positive representations of what a good leader
is and for dedicating the last four year to this program. Megan (Decker) and Mykenzie
(Hicks) will definitely be missed," Davis said.
Republic's high point was early in the fourth set, when it jumped ahead 6-3. But
Kickapoo used a 10-point run to take control, tie the match, then closed it out in the fifth.
Republic finished its season with an 18-10 record. It's Republic's first winning season
since 2016, and it's the program's best final record since 2013, when the Lady Tigers
were 23-11-1.