Leopold volleyball falls to defending state champion Winona

The Leopold volleyball team was able to slow down Winona, but unable to hold off the defending state champions as Leopold finished second at the Class 1 final four.

Leopold lost 25-20, 25-18 to Winona in the championship game Saturday at the Show Me Center.

"Nobody wants to lose, but then you have to stop yourself and think, 'We just got second in the state in Class 1,' so there's nothing to be ashamed about, there's nothing to be sad about," Leopold coach Sandy Davis said. "We wanted to win, but still second in Class 1, in all the state of Missouri with my girls is just a great feeling."

Leopold led for most of the first set, but once Winona took a 17-16 lead Leopold never caught back up.

The second set was tied 10 times and neither team took more than a two-point lead until Winona pulled ahead 17-14 on a Leopold hitting error.

Winona junior Rachel Holthaus and senior Nola McAfee combined for seven kills over Winona's final 11 points.

"We expected them to give it to their two studs, which they did every time, and we just had to get our passes up, but it just didn't work out," junior Caitlin Petty said.

Petty led Leopold with 12 of the team's 22 kills.

Holthaus and McAfee had all 24 of Winona's kills in the match -- Holthaus hit .462 and finished with 13, and McAfee had 11.