Platte County closes out 3rd district title in 4 years with wild conclusion to win over St. Pius X

During an agonizingly long series of dramatic points, the Class 4 District 8 championship match balanced on a fulcrum of uncertainty in the deciding portion of the fourth set.

Platte County earned ample opportunities to close out a comeback victory but also simultaneously survived multiple critical rallies that could have extended the action. The Pirates survived five set points but didn’t close out an action-packed, two-hour marathon 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 33-31 triumph on Tuesday night at Pirate Fieldhouse.

Not only did the outcome avenge a prior loss and run the active winning streak to 11 straight, Platte County (22-7-2) advanced back to the state playoffs in an improbable and unlikely scenario that tested the resolve and nerves of both teams involved.

“That was definitely a rollercoaster for our girls, and I’m sure for St. Pius X, as well,” Platte County coach Katlyn Donovan said. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m just so proud of the girls and how they battled. I feel like we did a really good job of keeping our composure through the mishaps we had and the big plays we made.”

Having finished third at state in Class 4 in both 2020 and 2022, Platte County next travels to Lee’s Summit for a 1 p.m. state quarterfinal against St. Michael the Archangel (26-5). The winner advances to the semifinals and place matches scheduled for next Thursday and Friday at Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

Platte County swept the playoff meeting between the two teams last year but lost to St. Michael in four sets during a regular season matchup in early August. The Pirates’ earned the sought-after rematch only after wrapping up a third Class 4 District title in four years in valiant fashion.

Top-seeded St. Pius X (26-7) held all the early momentum but could not quite match consistency.

Platte County junior outside hitter Karlee Riggs finished with an impressive match-high of 28 kills, accounting for more than a third of the team’s total of 73 spread between just five players. The Pirates also served up eight total aces — three from senior Jenna Wheeler — to just three for the Warriors.

When errors were reduced, Platte County looked the part of a program returning a bulk of talent from last year’s Class 4 third-place state team. The Pirates also survived a bloody nose for senior setter Ava Wheeler while closing out the second, overcame a sizable deficit in the third and then closed out the fourth while out of substitutions and playing through rarely used rotations.

“It was really nerve-racking,” said Platte County senior Ava Filger, who recorded seven digs — one of four Pirates with at least that number. “But at the same time, I had my teammates with me, and it felt amazing. I think the nerves really get us going, and all the fans on our side really helped us.”

St. Pius X, a state qualifier last season in Class 3 before moving up as part of the state’s private school success multiplier, also led the majority of the fourth set after jumping to a quick 4-1 lead.

Platte County briefly tied the score at 6-6 and then 9-9 on senior star Kendall Johnson’s only ace before going in front at 11-10. The score remained incredibly tight from there, portending the eventual climactic finish. An ace from senior Kenadi Brown, who finished with two plus two digs in her regular cameo role, set up the Pirates’ first match point at 24-23.

St. Pius X scored two straight and served for the fourth set coming out of a timeout, and Platte County missed another chance to finish off the Warriors at 26-25.

The match would be almost unimaginably tied at 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. St. Pius X created four straight set points and consistently seemed on the precipice of pushing the match to a fifth and an unpredictable race to 15 points. Instead, both Riggs and sophomore middle blocker Malin Cole (one kill, two blocks) ended up on the service line for Platte County match points with Donovan out of substitutions.

“Malin and Karlee were put into huge moments for us and did exactly what we needed them to do,” Donovan said. “What I can appreciate as a coach is that they still served aggressively and put St. Pius X in a tough spot. We had all the confidence in them to keep the ball in play.”

Platte County didn’t convert on Riggs’ chance, leading to Cole putting the ball in play for what ended up the final point. The combination of sophomore Emma Macaluso and senior Tatianna Murray blocked St. Pius X’s initial attack, leading to an immediate return. Murray, a third-year starter who posted 22 kills in another standout performance, sent a looping spike across court that the Warriors also immediately returned.

However, Ava Wheeler played the initial pass, meaning Riggs set up Johnson for the Platte County’s final kill. Johnson, like a Riggs a returning Class 4 Missouri Volleyball Coaches Association all-state attacker, ended up with just 17 total while adding four blocks and 17 digs in another all-around effort but came up with the hit from the left side that glanced off the Warriors block and set off the victorious celebration — first a dog pile of excited players and coaches near the net and eventually hugs and high fives to a collectively relieved group.

“That fourth set felt a little weird,” Donovan said. “I don’t want to say we got complacent and just knew we were going to win. It just felt a little different from the first three. I felt like we just maybe took a step back and wanted them to make all the errors, but we called a timeout and they had 15 points and we had given them 12 on errors. That’s just too many. I feel like the second half of that last set we did a better job of keeping the ball in play.”

In the end, St. Pius X ultimately played with a lead for the bulk of the match in front of a sizable, energetic and invested crowd. One of the Warriors’ three service aces came on the opening point, and they raced out to a 6-2 lead in the first set.

Platte County took a first timeout trailing 11-6 and later went behind 17-11. Eventually, the Pirates whittled the lead down to two twice before Jenna Wheeler, who collected a team-high 22 digs, produced the first of two lengthy service runs. Riggs supplied a pair of kills that created the match’s initial tie at 20-20.

After a St. Pius X timeout, Platte County yielded the next three points and eventually dropped the first set 25-23.

“It could have been nerves, but I don’t think it was, though,” Donovan said. “Slow starts can hurt you, but we’re good at battling back. We’ve shown that this year. Sometimes, I think they like to dig into a hole to age me more, to give me more gray hairs. I don’t appreciate that, but I can appreciate we can dig ourselves out of a hole at any time.”

Platte County didn’t lead for the first time until Filger opened the second set with strong service, and her only ace stretched the initial advantage for the Pirates to 6-1, and St. Pius X took a timeout down 7-1. The Warriors trailed by as much as seven and were no closer than four the rest of the way.

“I feel like the momentum ended on our side in the first set, which is good. Even though we lost it, it’s still good to get the momentum back starting the second,” Donovan said.

However, Ava Wheeler took a spike to the face with Platte County ahead 20-14 and developed a substantial bloody nose as a result. She used all of an originally allotted 30-second stoppage to attend to the injury, and Donovan took one of her timeouts right after to give trainers an additional minute to stop the flow.

Ava Wheeler didn’t miss a single point and finished with a career-high 64 assists — 16 more than she collected in her previous top statistical performance in a four-set win over Raymore-Peculiar late last month. She also did not commit a single ballhandling error in 158 set attempts, while adding 19 digs.

“The situation with Ava just goes to show her toughness and competitiveness,” Donovan said. “I think it was important during the timeout to settle the girls down and refocus them on what we could control. Thankfully, the athletic trainers were able to get her cleaned up quickly and back into the game.”

Ava Wheeler then provided a 4-0 start for Platte County in the third set.

However, St. Pius X won 13 of the next 17 points and led 13-8. A kill from Macaluso — one of six to go with a team-high six blocks — returned service to Johnson in a key spot, but Platte County did not tie the score back up until 20-20 on an ace from Jenna Wheeler. The Pirates then came out of a timeout with a block from Cole and another ace from Jenna Wheeler to take the lead 22-20.

Murray closed out the third set with one of her kills.

“As soon as we were up (2-1), I really think we knew we had it,” Filger said.

Platte County then kept the match from going to a fifth set, cycling through diverse contributions at pivotal points in a manner typical for the current late-season run.

St. Pius X’s 13 total blocks and equally impressive backline defensive performance of 84 digs led to frequently extended and often unpredictable rallies. The Warriors were tantalizingly close to taking momentum back, and the outcome of a fifth and final set seemed unpredictable given the match’s trajectory.

“I think a fifth set could have been detrimental to us, for sure,” Donovan said. “We tried to get them to remain calm throughout that fourth set and limit our errors. But yeah, that fifth set could have been interesting.

“We don’t have to worry about that now.”

St. Pius X earned the No. 1 seed in Class 4 District 8 by virtue of a head-to-head win over Platte County in September’s Winnetonka Invitational. However, the Pirates had lost senior middle blocker Cierra Poldberg to what ended up a season-ending ankle injury in the prior match, and the Wheeler twins were unavailable that day while attending their older sister’s wedding.

Platte County ended up losing a few days later to Liberty North but have won every match since that pivotal point, outwardly unlocking the full potential of an experienced roster that faced multiple adjustment periods this season. The Pirates went into the season minus two key seniors, and they shifted Murray from a spot in the middle to the outside while pairing Poldberg and Cole as first-year starters and installing Ava Wheeler as full-time setter with last year’s starter not returning to the team.

The consistency of a defensive backline consisting of Jenna Wheeler at libero alongside Filger and Avery Walter (eight digs against St. Pius X) — three of Platte County’s eight seniors — allowed time for others to adjust to new roles. However, the Pirates were at 8-5 after the Lansing Invitational and 11-7-2 after the loss to Liberty North when Macaluso officially joined the lineup, and Brown’s short rotational role took on added importance.

In addition, Donovan missed the start of the season while on maternity leave and did not return until early October.

“Really having each other’s backs, never blaming anybody, just really being a team, coming together helps,” Filger said.

Now, Platte County has a chance to avenge a second of the seven losses this season and earn another state semifinal berth in the process. The two third-place trophies from 2020 and 2022 in Class 4 represent the best finishes in program history, and the Pirates have already locked up a seventh straight 20-win campaign.

Undoubtedly, St. Michael the Archangel didn’t defeat the same Platte County team on August 31 by winning the first two sets and squelching out a comeback attempt. The Pirates have plenty of motivation not just for this particular match but to continue adding to the recent legacy

“I told them we’re on a redemption trail right now,” Donovan said. “It’s redemption week for us, for sure. We’re ready to go.”