Jackson volleyball claims regular season conference title

JACKSON - Two of the premiere volleyball programs faced off Monday at Jackson High School.

The Jackson Indians came away victorious, defeating the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders in straight sets (25-19, 25-16, 25-17) to claim the SEMO Conference regular season championship.

“The feeling doesn’t get old,” Indians coach Dave Mirly said. “The girls work really hard, and they’re going to get 2023 up there on the board forever. And that’s just a feather in the cap for these ladies.”

Coming in to Monday’s contest, Jackson knew they had a chance to clinch the regular season championship, but the Crusaders came in having won six straight.

“We knew Saxony was going to be really good,” Mirly said. “They always play us tough. We knew it would be a tough battle.”

Despite the fact Jackson won in straight sets, the Crusaders battled, but ultimately the Indians’ talent at the net won out.

“We did a really good job of controlling play at the net,” Mirly said. “They just had a hard time getting around our blocks. This was one of our better blocking games of the season.”

Not only did the Indians control the net, they also picked up points serving, giving them a boost in momentum.

“We were able to hit some spots we were trying to serve at,” Mirly said. “It gave us an advantage.”

Next on the agenda for Jackson is defending their SEMO Conference Tournament championship, which is Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Sportsplex in Cape Girardeau.

“They’re really excited,” Mirly said. “You get a chance at that big trophy and again, it’s something that can’t ever be taken away from the seniors. They’re going to come out focused and ready to play.”

“They’ve got big dreams and goals,” Mirly said. “This is one of them tonight, and Thursday is another chance at one. It’s just one goal at a time.”

Saxony Lutheran (14-3) opens SEMO Conference Tourney play at 3:45 p.m. Thursday against the winner of Scott City and Oran.

Jackson (14-6-1) is the overall top seed in the tournament and is set to battle with the winner of Poplar Bluff and New Madrid County Central at 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

“We’re starting to make fewer mistakes and take care of the ball much better,” Mirly said. “That’s really helping us be a lot more successful.”