POTOSI — The volleyball season came to an end for both Perryville and St. Vincent on Oct. 22 in Potosi, in the first Class 3 District 2 State Tournament.
The Lady Pirates were the 2nd seed, and took on the 3rd seeded Ste. Genevieve Dragons, who advanced by beating 6th seeded Central Park Hills. The Dragons would defeat the Pirates in four sets to advance to the finals.
Head coach Liz Meyr said she knew it would be a tough game between two similar teams where limiting errors would end up being the deciding factor.
“Our girls came out strong, winning the first set and holding the lead in the second before Ste. Gen battled back to take it,” Meyr said. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to come away with the win, but I am proud of the fight our girls showed.”
The Lady Pirates finished the season an improved 20-7-3, winning twice as many matches as last year and finding success throughout the year, including a silver bracket championship in the top pool of the dig for life tournament, and a championship in the woodland tournament.
“At the beginning of the season our players set goals for themselves and as a team, and they accomplished almost every one of them,” Meyr said. “As a coach, that is something I am extremely proud of. While we would have loved to see our season continue, I don’t want one loss to take away from everything these girls accomplished. They worked hard, grew as players, and made some great memories along the way.”
Individual accomplishments for the Pirates this year included 1,000 career assists and more than 100 aces on the season for seniors Paige Berkbigler and Emma Blechle, and a new school dig record for senior Lexi Schemel. Blechle also tied the school record for most aces in a single game with 10 in a match against North County. Meyr said this year’s senior class played a pivotal role in their improvement from last year.
“Its always hard to see a season end knowing our seniors won’t be back on the court with us next year,” she said. “They have played a big role in our program and their leadership and contributions will be missed. At the same time, we’ve seen tremendous growth from our juniors this season, and I am confident they will be ready to step up and fill those shoes next year.”
The 20 wins for the Lady Pirates were the most for the program since 2019.
“It’s been a great season for the Lady Pirates and that is what I hope our girls will remember,” Meyr said. “I hope they take pride in what they accomplished this year and use it as motivation to continue building our program. I couldn’t be prouder of this group and the season they had together.”
