Regardless of the opponent's class, Saxony VB is testing itself early

Those familiar with high school girl’s volleyball throughout Southeast Missouri know well enough that a program’s class designation by MSHSAA is essentially meaningless.

There are Class 1 teams that can – and have – beaten the tar out of Class 5 programs on many occasions. So the fact that Saxony Lutheran, which was recently moved up to Class 3 due to the “championship factor” formulated by MSHSAA annually, is competing with three Class 1 programs in the Red Division of Pool A at this weekend’s Dig For Life Volleyball Tournament doesn’t assure the Crusaders of anything.

“We got moved up to Class 3 this year due to the championship factor,” second-year Saxony Lutheran coach Stephanie Brown said following a recent loss to Class 1 power Advance, “so we have to come out and find a way to beat teams like this, even though they are Class 1.

“Advance is still a great team.”

And so are Clarkton, Lesterville, and Bell City, which are the other three teams competing in the same pool as the Crusaders on Friday and Saturday.

The two-day event, which features 58 teams from throughout Missouri, will take place at three locations (Show Me Center, SEMO Student Rec Center, and the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex.

For the Crusaders, who improved to 2-1 with a win over Class 1 St. Vincent on Tuesday, have already beaten Class 3 Dexter, and will host Class 4 Sikeston (0-2) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Saxony Lutheran has won three consecutive Class 2 District titles and advanced to the Quarterfinals in 2020 and 2022.

“We have to be able to find it in ourselves to be able to come out and be able to beat Class 3 teams,” Brown said, “and show that we belong here.”

Competing against the Class 1 programs this weekend will actually be good preparation for the Crusaders’ postseason later this fall.

Lesterville has already won three of its opening four matches this season and has won six of the last seven District championships.

The Bearcats won 27 matches a year ago en route to the MSHSAA Class 1 Quarterfinals.

Clarkton won 31 matches a year ago and advanced to the MSHSAA Class 1 Quarterfinals, where it lost to eventual state champion, Advance, which won its fourth state title in five seasons.

The Reindeer have put together a streak of five consecutive seasons of winning at least 21 matches.

For Bell City, the Cubs won 27 matches a year ago, including a 3-1 win in mid-September against the state-champion Hornets.

Brown’s team had Advance down 2-0 recently, before the host Hornets rebounded for a thrilling 3-2 win.

“Our strength has been fighting back,” Brown said of this year’s veteran group, which features eight seniors (Annie Adams, Clara Brune, Leah Fritsche, Landre Hoehne, Callie King, Grace Ozark, Paige Seibel, and Katie Swain). “Our hustle plays are off the charts.

“These girls give 100 percent every time that they go for a ball. They just go, go, go. That is our strong suit. Our setters are starting to click with our hitters pretty well. That is going to be a key factor.”