Lesterville ends Bell City's season in volleyball quarters

BELL CITY, Mo. -- The Lesterville volleyball team wasn't even favored to win its district tournament.

Yet the Bearcats are headed to the Class 1 final four after posting two comebacks victories Saturday at Bell City High School.

Lesterville lost the first game in both its sectional and quarterfinal matches but rallied past Leopold 22-25, 25-20, 25-22 and Bell City 20-25, 25-22, 25-22.

"Those were crazy intense matches," Lesterville coach Betsy Middleton said. "Losing the first set, to come back and win both matches, I was really impressed with my girls."

Many of the numerous Lesterville fans in attendance wore T-shirts with "the little team that could" inscribed on the back.

Bell City's Jasmine Johnson spikes during Saturday's Class 1 sectional match in Bell City, Mo.

Middleton said that was because not many people expected the Bearcats to be a state contender after they lost seven seniors from 2008.

"We should have been here last year but we stunk it up," Middleton said. "I don't think anybody expected this."

Lesterville was seeded second behind Bismarck in its district tournament, although the Bearcats (25-5-1) were ranked fourth in the most recent Class 1 poll, behind No. 3 Bismarck and No. 2 Leopold.

If you ask Bell City coach Erin Hoffman, her team almost pulled off a more surprising feat than Lesterville.

Bell City (22-12) returned only one starter from last year's squad that finished third in the state. And the Cubs had something of an up-and-down regular season, losing 11 matches, including defeats to both Lesterville and Leopold.

Belly City's Alex Eakin celebrates a point against South Pemiscot with her teamates during Saturday's sectional volleyball tournament at Bell City High School. (LAURA SIMON)

"I really didn't know if we'd make it this far," Hoffman said. "I feel like we were the underdog compared to Leopold and Lesterville."

After Lesterville posted its hard-fought sectional win over Leopold, Bell City barely worked up a sweat in routing South Pemiscot 25-9, 25-9.

That set up the quarterfinal match with a final four berth on the line. And the contest lived up to the stakes involved as all three games were tightly contested.

"We gave them a good game," Hoffman said. "We didn't let them win. They had to take it."

The Cubs pulled away late to take the first game 25-20, closing it out on one of the many powerful kills by standout sophomore hitter Jasmine Johnson.

Bell City's Jasmine Johnson serves to South Pemiscot Saturday, Octobr 31, 2009, during the sectional volleyball tournament held in Bell City. (LAURA SIMON)

Lesterville got the early jump in game two, leading 15-8, before Bell City stormed back for a 22-22 tie on a Johnson dink-kill.

But Bell City made two consecutive errors after lengthy rallies as the Bearcats again took control and prevailed 25-22.

Game three hardly could have been much closer. From the time it was tied 16-16, no more than one point separated the squads until Lesterville went ahead 22-20.

That was enough to give the Bearcats the cushion they needed as Bell City got no closer than two points again. A kill by Lesterville standout sophomore hitter Taylor Cook finished off the Cubs 25-22.

"We played pretty good but I'm disappointed we didn't get to go back to state," Johnson said. "Stupid mistakes basically is what got us down."

Johnson did all she could to give Bell City a shot at another final four berth.

The 5-foot-6 Johnson was all over the court as she finished off another sensational season.

She had 21 kills, 20 digs, three stuff blocks and two aces against Lesterville. That came after she had 10 kills, eight digs and two aces against South Pemiscot.

"She only needed four kills today to beat how many she had last year [444]," Hoffman said. "She's got 471 kills, which is ridiculous."

Bell City sophomore setter Trisha Slagley recorded 24 assists and 18 digs in the quarterfinal match.

Despite the loss, Hoffman said she has nothing but admiration for her players.

"I'm very proud of them," Hoffman said. "I told them in the locker room, you made it to the quarterfinals. That's nothing to be ashamed of."