Breast cancer awareness takes center stage in Sikeston’s win over Oran

ORAN, Mo. — Sikeston emerged victorious against Oran in a thrilling volleyball showdown, but the scoreline wasn’t the only thing that left a lasting impact.

The Lady Bulldogs (6-15-2) won with set scores of 25-21, 25-19 and 26-24, but the footprint of the match reached far beyond the final whistle, as the Lady Eagles (8-16-1) heartfelt gesture of wearing pink jerseys underscored their dedication to raising awareness to breast cancer.

Oran's Piper Bennett (6) serves during a junior varsity match against Sikeston on Wednesday, October 4, 2023,�Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

“The game was a close competition throughout,” said Sikeston coach Marc Jannin. “Each team went on runs. We came out strong and then they would catch up, then we would go on another run and they would catch up. The third set got intense. We had to maintain our focus the whole game. We persevered by just going through the steps; first pass, then set, then swing and repeat.”

Sikeston's biggest positive takeaway from the match was its victory, which helped build confidence after a series of challenging games. The standout performers were the entire front row, who demonstrated intelligence in their attacks by strategically choosing between swinging, tipping, or pushing the ball. Their smart play contributed to the overall success of the team.

Oran's Cora Woods (15) goes for a kill during a junior varsity match against Sikeston on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

“Last night was our annual Pink Out Night,” said Oran coach Lindsey Bickings. “Last year we raised over $1,000 and this year we are hoping to do the same thing. We always have a big crowd on these nights and with our pep club having a tailgate party before the game, I knew it would be a fun atmosphere for the girls to play in.”

The Lady Eagles put themselves in an early deficit after struggling with their serve receive.

“We worked our way back with some intense and scrappy rallies,” Bickings said. “We struggled with defense against their middle hitter Breonna Williams. She could reach over our block and tip the ball straight down, wherever she wanted. Our serving was pretty consistent through the first two sets, especially for Kolie Morgan and Mari Fuemmeler, but during the third set, little errors added up.”

Oran's top performers were Mari Fuemmeler (six kills, five digs and a block), Piper Bennett (10 digs and an ace), Kolie Morgan seven digs, five kills, two blocks and an ace), Bralynn Morgan (five kills and three digs), Caroline Brashear (15 assists) and Cora Woods (five kills and two blocks).

“We are starting to see that we can compete with schools that we haven't been able to in the past as well as work our way out of gaps in the score,” Bickings concluded. “Even if we don't come out with the win, it is still a big morale booster for our growing program. It was a high-energy game until the very end of each set. In the third set and with Kolie [Morgan] serving, we were down by four and came back five straight points.”

Sikeston travels to Malden (13-10-3) on Thursday, October 5, and will host Kennett (8-10-4) for senior night at the Fieldhouse on Tuesday, October 10.

Oran hosts Meadow Heights (13-10-2) on Friday, October 6.