Local team seeks big finish in Osage tournament today

It's one of only a couple of times they'll team together this year, but the goal of a top local six-person group in today's Osage Invitational Volleyball Tournament sounds familiar: Come home a champion.

Pat Elfrink of Cape Girardeau said he and his teammates -- Tracy Casey of Park Hills, Mo., Kent Kassel of Perryville, Mo., Erin Hoffman of Laflin, Mo., Mike Moyers of Marble Hill, Mo., and Leena Reeves of Park Hills -- won't likely suffer from their lack of playing time as a team when games begin at 10 a.m. today at the Osage Community Centre.

"We don't get to practice with each other, but we've played together enough over the years we know what each of us can or can't do," he said.

It wasn't so rough a year ago when the group finished third to teams from Columbia, Ill., and Coulterville, Ill., which are among the 12 competitive division teams entered today. Another 13 teams will compete in the recreational division, including the defending champions from Hoyleton, Ill.

Championship games are expected to begin late this afternoon.

Each team requires three women and three men, and Elfrink's team may be one of the most balanced in the field. Although the players' ages range from 24 to 37, each adds a valuable element: Elfrink and Kassel have years of experience of playing on traveling USA Volleyball league teams, Moyers has 10 years of playing time and adds height (at 6 foot 8), and Casey, Hoffman and Reeves played on college teams.

They'll likely see local and St. Louis-area foes today.

"This brings in a lot of good competition," Hoffman said. "There's good competition in the local leagues, but this gives you a group of people you don't usually see."

jhall@semissourian.com

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