Dragons Reach 8th Straight District Finals
BY MICHAEL BOYD JR.
HERALD SPORTS EDITOR
PARK HILLS, Mo. — Des
Varsity volleyball players for the Ste. Genevieve Dragons (green) and district host Park Hills Central Rebels (red) await a Central serve during the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 semifinals at the Foulon Fieldhouse at CHS on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. The Dragons would eliminate the host in four sets. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOYD JR. / STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD)
Members of the Ste. Genevieve volleyball team, with head coach Carla Basler, celebrate a kill point during the Dragons four-set elimination of the host Rebels in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 volleyball semifinals last Monday, Oct. 24, 2022 in Park Hills. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOYD JR. / STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD)
Ste. Genevieve senior outside hitter Dru Koetting (10) hammers a spike past Central’s Khloe Dischbein (21) and Kinley Norris as senior Arie Taylor (7) prepares for a block and Natalie Miles (4) prepares for the strike during the Dragons’ four-set elimination of the host Rebels in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 volleyball semifinals last Monday, Oct. 24, 2022 in Park Hills. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOYD JR. / STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD)
pite a little hiccup, top-seeded and second-ranked Ste. Genevieve reached the district championship final for the eighth-straight season with a four-set, semifinal victory over the fourth-seeded and 11th-ranked host Rebels here at the T.J. Foulon Fieldhouse at Central High last Monday evening.
The Dragons won the first set easily 25-15, but struggled in the second game 12-25 to tie it at 1-1.
No problem. They went on to win the next two rounds of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 semifinal 25-14 and 25-19 to reach the finals.
Senior Dru Koetting powered the Dragons (29-4-2) with four ace serves plus 16 kills and had 12 digs.
Libero Maya Watts had whopping 33 digs to go with three aces and three assists.
Arie Taylor added 14 kills and 20 digs. Tessa Grass had six kills.
Sophia Huck had 18 assists and three digs. Hope Schmelzle had five kills.
Devyn Basler had three aces, 19 assists and 10 digs.
Alli Byington had two aces and 11 digs. Lexy Parmer had 10 digs.
Joleigh Parker had five kills, three assists and three digs.
The Rebels finished up 20-13 on the season. They were one of four MAAA conference teams with 20 or more victories this season, including Ste. Genevieve and Class 4 Farmington.
The Dragons advanced to meet second-seeded and eighth-ranked Potosi.
The Trojans (24-5-4) are still looking for that elusive district title after ending third-seeded and 12th-ranked Valle Catholic’s season in the other semifinal during an epic nightcap that went five games.
Potosi beat the Warriors 25-27, 25-17, 25-20, 24-26 and 15-8 in some of the best volleyball fans will ever get to see that went late into the night.
