The Lady Tigers didn’t quit when they fell behind 11-0 to start the third set against a powerful Kickapoo team Monday, but their comeback big fell a little short in a three-set loss to Kickapoo, 25-23 23-25 25-20.
Republic dropped a close first set after being tied at 15 apiece. Kickapoo built a four-point lead at 24-20, but the Lady Tigers won three straight before Kickapoo put the set away. Republic evened the match in the second set, but Kickapoo stormed ahead to winning the first 11 points of the third.
Republic answered with a run of their own. They closed the deficit to 12-6, and eventually to 15-14. Kickapoo stretched the lead to five, Republic closed the gap back to two, but Kickapoo won five of the last seven points to pull out the victory.
“You’ve got to be proud of a team that doesn’t quit, down 11-0 in the start. I always tell them, when you’re at 12, 13, there’s still a lot of volleyball left to be played and the game is not over,” says coach Piper Wright. “Republic volleyball is just known for not giving up and just fighting through, even when we’re down that much. It gives me a heart attack when we’re down that much, but that’s definitely something to be proud of.”
Wright made some adjustments to the lineup Monday, using a “5-1” rotation with Emily Preston as the only setter from both the front and back rows.
“That can be hard to go against from the defensive side, just knowing when she’s going to hit and when she’s going to set. I think that really helped us. I thought we played well with the exception of 11-0 (in the third set),” Wright says. “I think maybe if we’ve been in this rotation a little longer, practice it a little more, I think we’re going to be okay.”
Republic gets a rematch against Kickapoo in the first round of the Springfield Classic Tournament on Saturday.
“We’re excited to see them again,” says Wright.
The Lady Tigers are 1-5 to start the season.
Kickapoo won the JV match 25-18 25-20. The Republic freshmen won 25-21 26-24.