Lady Wolverines turn back charge from rival on road
EUPORA – When East Webster and Eupora get together in any sport, records can be thrown out the window and it’s usually anybody’s game.
That was the case as Eupora closed out its volleyball season at home against the Lady Wolverines on Tuesday and the Lady Eagles put up a fight. After the Lady Eagles made a big comeback late in the second set, they had two other opportunities to do the same, but East Webster closed out on both chances on the way to a 3-1 win.
Coach Dallas Mccracken of the Lady Wolverines was disappointed that her team had difficulties capping off a set. They got the win, though, and that was all that mattered in the end.
“We had trouble finishing,” Mccracken said. “When we’re faced with adversity, we can’t overcome it at times. I think we wear down and shut down a little bit. We were lucky to get a win (Tuesday). We’ve got to learn how to finish some things, have grit and not wear it on your shoulders.”
It was a fairly dominant first set for East Webster jumped out to a 7-2 lead and cruised to a 25-14 victory. It’s when things got tight that the Lady Wolverines got shaky.
In the second set, East Webster came out early and took a 9-6 lead but the Lady Eagles came back and took a 15-12 advantage on some service aces from Madelyn Mcmullan prompting a Lady Wolverine timeout. East Webster regrouped and took a 24-21 lead with set point on the line but couldn’t finish.
Cydney Murphy struck for five-straight points on serve and lead the Lady Eagles to a thrilling 26-24 set win to even the match.
The next two sets, the Lady Wolverines were set with a similar situation. East Webster led 24-20 in the third set before giving up consecutive points, but it ended the set and took the lead. In the fourth set, the Lady Wolverines had a 24-21 lead again, but three-straight points capped by Mcmullan’s ace tied the set.
East Webster had run out of sub opportunities and Marlie Brewer was having a rare chance to serve for the Lady Wolverines. Brewer came through with back to back points to close out the game and give the team a 26-24 victory in the fourth.
“I think Marlie Brewer had a good night,” Mccracken said. “She had a hard year this year missing most of the season but (Tuesday) she played four sets and played well. She got that last serve and did well.”
It was the final match of the season for the Lady Eagles and first-year head coach Meredith Woolbright and it was a season of growth and learning for everyone involved. Eupora didn’t make the playoffs and it ended the year with a 6-14 record, but the Lady Eagles grew in Woolbright’s eyes.
The coach came to Eupora late in the process arriving just a week or two before the start of the season. Now she gets a chance for a full offseason and preparation for next year.
“Coming into this game versus when we started, nothing but progress was made,” Woolbright said of her team. “We didn’t come away with a win on the scoreboard, but I think it’s a win for our program. When we started out the first day, I asked them what their positions were and they said they didn’t know their positions – they just rotated.
“Yes, we’ve been knocked down and we’ve had to face teams that have been around for a long time, we’re only in our second year. No matter what – we’re not going to quit fighting.”
For East Webster, it improved to 12-8 in the regular season and finished Class 2A, Region 4 play 3-2 with a sweep of the Lady Eagles. The Lady Wolverines close out the regular season on the road at Mooreville on Thursday and then will travel to Walnut for the first round of the playoffs next Tuesday at 6 p.m.