Portageville takes Second in Dig For Life Black Level

Takes Second Place The Portageville Lady Bulldog Volleyball team finished with Second Place in the Black Division-Silver Bracket on Saturday. They participated in the Dig for Life Volleyball Tournament in Cape Girardeau.  The Lady Bulldogs defeated South Pemiscot, Holcomb, Zalma, and Clearwater on the way to the championship game before falling to Grandview in the Championship game.  From left are, Maggie Frakes, Dasmine Johnson, Selinah Taylor, Jauslyn Johnson, Destinee Adams; back are, Kellsie Jones, Grace Rone, Haylie Hammack, Alexa Priggel, Camryn Spence, and Zarria Taylor. - Submitted Photo

Nearly 60 teams participated at the 31st Annual St. Francis Medical Center Dig for Life Volleyball Challenge over the weekend at various venues throughout Cape Girardeau.

The program, founded by former Southeast Missouri State University women's volleyball coach Cindy Gannon, raises breast cancer awareness and helps provides mammograms to women in the area who otherwise could not afford such important screening. According to the Show-Me Center, Dig for Life has given nearly 2,000 free mammograms to women in the Southeast Missouri region since its beginning in 2000.

Formerly referred to as the SEMO Classic, 58 teams participated in this year's tournament held on the campus of Southeast Missouri State at the Show-Me Center and Student Recreation Center. The Cape Girardeau SportsPlex also hosted games this year for the first time as in the past, Notre Dame Regional High School opened its gym with two courts for various matches. Four courts were available this year at the SportsPlex, which grew the tournament from 48 teams in years past to 58 teams this year.

Among local teams, Perryville made it the farthest in the tournament. The Pirates went 5-1 in pool play to finish first in their pool. The Pirates split Hillsboro in the challenge round before moving into the Red Division Gold Bracket where they swept Leopold 25-20, 25-22 in the first round before falling to eventual tournament champion Farmington (17-25, 22-25) in the quarterfinals. The Knightettes went on to defeat Seckman for the tournament championship.

Also in the Red Division, Saxony Lutheran clinched the Silver Bracket championship over Woodland 27-25, 25-12. It was the third time this season that the Crusaders have beaten the Cardinals. Woodland will have another chance for revenge on Tuesday when the Cardinals will host the Crusaders once again in what will be the two teams' fourth meeting thus far this season.

Notre Dame and St. Vincent also made it to the Gold Bracket of the Red Division but both teams lost out in the opening round. The Bulldogs fell to Farmington (21-25, 20-25) for the second time this season and the Indians dropped their match to Arcadia Valley (12-25, 15-25).

In the Black Division, Oak Ridge and Scott City made it the farthest among local teams. The BlueJays and Rams advanced all the way to the semifinals of the Gold Bracket where they both bowed out. Scott City lost to DeSoto (21-25, 21-25) and Oak Ridge fell to Jefferson (17-25, 20-25). Jefferson proceeded to defeat its local nemesis DeSoto in three sets for the Black Division Gold Bracket championship.

BLACK DIVISION CHALLENGE ROUND

Caruthersville split New Haven 25-20, 22-25

Green Ridge def. Viburnum 25-19, 25-12

Meadow Heights def. Greenville 25-10, 25-17

DeSoto def. Oran 25-22, 25-09

South Iron def. Southland 25-19, 25-24

Cape Central split Doniphan 22-25, 25-17

Scott City def. Oak Ridge 25-22, 25-22

Gideon/Risco def. Malden 25-23, 25-22

Jefferson (Festus) def. Southern Reynolds 25-19, 25-16

Clearwater def. North Technical 25-13, 25-14

Richland (Essex) def. Bunker 25-15, 25-20

New Madrid County Central def. Zalma 25-20, 25-17

Puxico split Twin Rivers 18-25, 25-13

Senath-Hornersville def. Cooter 25-21, 25-22

Grandview (Hillsboro) def. Bell City 25-13, 25-16

Portageville def. South Pemiscot 25-13, 25-23

Clarkton def. Holcomb 25-17, 25-18

BLACK DIVISION -- GOLD BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

Oran def. Southland 25-20, 22-25 (third set score not provided)

Jefferson (Festus) def. New Haven 25-07, 25-09

Gideon/Risco def. Greenville 25-18, 25-07

Oak Ridge def. Green Ridge 22-25, 25-18, 25-09

Meadow Heights def. Southern Reynolds 25-22, 23-25, 25-15

DeSoto def. Malden 25-23, 18-25, 25-14

South Iron def. Doniphan 26-24, 14-25, 25-15

Caruthersville def. Viburnum 25-10, 25-17

Scott City def. Caruthersville 25-15, 25-23

Cape Central def. Oran 25-20, 25-18

QUARTERFINALS

Jefferson (Festus) def. Cape Central 25-21, 25-17

Oak Ridge def. Gideon/Risco 25-11, 22-25, 25-19

DeSoto def. Meadow Heights 25-10, 27-29, 25-21

Scott City def. South Iron 23-25, 25-08, 25-12

SEMIFINALS

Jefferson (Festus) def. Oak Ridge 25-17, 25-20

DeSoto def. Scott City 25-21, 25-21

CHAMPIONSHIP

Jefferson (Festus) def. DeSoto 21-25, 25-13, 25-18

BLACK DIVISION -- SILVER BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

Clearwater def. Bell City 25-12, 25-06

Puxico def. Cooter 25-16, 25-20

Zalma def. Richland (Essex) 14-25, 25-19, 25-22

Portageville def. Holcomb 25-16, 25-22

Grandview (Hillsboro) def. North Technical 25-12, 25-11

Senath-Hornersville def. Twin Rivers 22-25, 25-20, 25-16

Clarkton def. South Pemiscot 25-17, 25-13

New Madrid County Central def. Bunker 25-13, 25-15

QUARTERFINALS

Clearwater def. Puxico 25-16, 25-19

Portageville def. Zalma 25-17, 25-14

Grandview (Hillsboro) def. Senath-Hornersville 25-13, 25-17

Clarkton def. New Madrid County Central 22-25, 25-23, 25-14

SEMIFINALS

Portageville def. Clearwater 25-22, 25-21

Grandview (Hillsboro) def. Clarkton 25-18, 25-21

CHAMPIONSHIP

Grandview (Hillsboro) def. Portageville 25-12, 25-19