Sullivan Topples St. Clair In Two Sets

Sullivan handed St. Clair just their second loss of the season Thursday at home.

Each set went down to the wire and the Lady Eagles won by the thinnest of margins, 27-25, 25-23.

Sullivan (15-10-3) won for the fourth straight game and completed a clean sweep of the week, taking victories against Cuba and Union just days earlier.

The streak extends back to October 5 with a win against West Plains in the Rolla Tournament.

Thursday’s game presented a big test against a St. Clair team that was 16-1-2 and featured big hitters in Aliholani Bursey and Gracie Sohn.

“St. Clair is always a tough game and Bursey and Sohn definitely bring some power,” said Lady Eagles head coach Sarah Rochleau, who felt the team finally came together. “Despite winning our two matches earlier in the week, I didn’t think we really came together as a team until (St. Clair). We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the importance of the energy we bring onto the court. I was proud of the energy the girls played with on Thursday.”

Rochleau said Sullivan adjusted its lineup midway through the opening set and moved to a 6-2 offense. That put Rylee Denbow in as setter.

“She did a great job stepping in to set,” Rochleau said. “She had a great night attacking as well.”

Sullivan had to stage two comebacks in the first set and faced match point while trailing 24-23.

After some back-and-forth in the second set, Sullivan took control and led until five straight winners by the Lady Bulldogs.

Sullivan won six of the final seven rallies to pull off a tough sweep.

Neither team led by more than one point until some attacking errors by the Lady Eagles opened the door for St. Clair.

Down 13-9, Sullivan called a timeout and appeared rejuvenated. 

Denbow ended a 3-0 run by St. Clair with a kill fresh out of the break.

Mallory Shetley scored a point off a long rally, then Denbow delivered an ace to make it 13-12.

Kya Harbour perfectly timed a block at the net, deflecting the ball with no St. Clair return.

St. Clair knocked the ball out of bounds on the next rally, which gave Sullivan a 14-13 lead.

Shetley fired a spike that glanced off the fingers of Bursey and skipped out of bounds. That completed a 6-0 run by the Lady Eagles.

St. Clair answered with six straight points of their own to take a 19-15 lead on a point by Sohn.

Sullivan called another timeout and it again provided immediate dividends. The Lady Eagles put up two quick points to make it 19-17.

They tied the game at 20-all when St. Clair couldn’t return. St. Clair called a timeout, but knocked the ball out of bounds on the first rally. 

Sohn would tie the game at 22 with an ace and the Lady Bulldogs grabbed a 24-23 lead on a fault.

Denbow kept the set alive with a spike that Makayla Johnson couldn’t handle.

Sullivan went up 25-24, but Johnson tied it. Sullivan would finally clinch the set on an ace by Saige Carey.

The Lady Eagles were able to gain separation in the second half and build up a 16-11 lead. They fought off St. Clair until a block by Bursey and a double-hit violation put them down 21-20.

St. Clair’s attacking error tied the game at 21, then Bursey and Shetley traded kills. With the game tied at 22, another Lady Bulldogs attacking error gave Sullivan the lead for good. 

St. Clair pulled within 24-23, but on the final rally, Sullivan ran a flawless play — Shetley bumped to Denbow, who set up Shetley. Two blockers anticipated a big spike, but Shetley took advantage of their aggressiveness and feathered the ball past them and to the floor for a victory.