Sikeston drops Portageville in three sets for sixth-straight win

SIKESTON -- It typically takes more than a good mood to set one team apart from the other. But, staying happy might help.

The Sikeston volleyball team pulled off its sixth-straight win on Tuesday at the Sikeston Field House with a three-set win over Portageville winning the first and third sets handedly.

"I think we've just all been in really good moods," Sikeston senior Morgan Poindexter said about her team's winning streak. "It really does effect how we play. Whenever we have one person that's down that usually determines the way the game is going to go. If we're all ready to go and ready to play we're usually going to have a good night."

Sikeston's Zaria Blissett goes up for a kill against Portageville Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at the Sikeston Field House.

Sikeston's Zaria Blissett goes up for a kill against Portageville Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at the Sikeston Field House.

Sikeston, who celebrated Senior Night for Poindexter and Ali Enax, must have been extremely happy during the first and third sets taking those with ease at 25-14 and 25-10. Portageville rallied to win the second set 25-21.

"We had lots of energy and I think that's the determining factor," Poindexter said. "We felt the same in the first and third sets and that's what led us to win.

"It's hard when you're on a team full of girls," Poindexter added. "But, sometimes it works."

It very well may have been the case seeing the discrepancy in scores through three sets.

"If you want to think about it it's the same gym, same court, same two teams and the same players with two completely different results between the first and third and second set," Sikeston coach Steve Beydler said. "We just clammed up (that second set). Our mouths were sewn shut, which in this game, with momentum being an important factor, isn't good."

Sikeston (11-7) went ahead 17-4 at one point in the first set which easily led to its 11-point win at the end.

Like most of its success throughout the night, Sikeston won the net with kills and blocks from Zaria Blissett, who led all with 10 kills, Morgan Merrill and Olivia Nash. Portageville's serve-receive didn't allow them many chances to generate an offense.

Portgeville's Deavion Caldwell tries to block a tip of Sikeston's Annie Ensor Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at the Sikeston Field House.

Portgeville's Deavion Caldwell tries to block a tip of Sikeston's Annie Ensor Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at the Sikeston Field House.

"We weren't getting swings on the ball," Portageville coach Barry Branscum said. "We kept having to send tips and free balls over and allowing them to run easy offense... I think it was all serve-receive. In the second set we serve-received very well. But that's what it boiled down to all night long. Our problems with serve-receive."

Portageville (15-10-2) won the first point of the second set and seemed to build momentum from there. Though the set never reached higher than a five-point lead for Portageville, they kept Sikeston at bay.

A ball that sailed out of bounds by Portageville's Deavion Caldwell pulled Sikeston to within 21-20. A bit of luck bounced Portageville's way when a ball caromed off Sikeston's scoreboard that's suspended above center court for a Portageville point. And ace from Dasmine Johnson made it 23-20 Portageville, but Sikeston's Olivia Nash swatted a kill to cut their lead back to two.

Portageville's Kelsi Jones and Haylie Hammack ended the set with two-straight kills for the 25-21 win.

"The second set we weren't aggressive at all," Beydler said. "We weren't scrappy, we were very complacent and going through the motions. That was the difference."

Sikeston's Olivia Nash tries to hit the ball past Portageville's Haylie Hammack Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at the Sikeston Field House.

Sikeston's Olivia Nash tries to hit the ball past Portageville's Haylie Hammack Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at the Sikeston Field House.

Any momentum Portageville had after its second set win was gone when the third set got underway. Sikeston quickly ran up a 13-2 lead which ballooned to 21-4 after back-to-back aces from Emma Jones.

"We got to show up with the energy we had in the second set," Branscum said. "That's been an issue for us. We're a young team and that's not an excuse, but we're capable of being like we were in the second set. We've also been really flat like we were in the first and third sets."

Adrienne Duncan led Portageville with 10 kills while Jones and Hammack added seven and six.

After Blissett's 10 kills and one block, Merrill had four kills and one assist. Nash added three kills and seven assists, Poindexter had three kills and three assists. Setter Annie Ensor had 16 assists.

Sikeston hosts conference foe and Class 3 powerhouse Notre Dame (16-5-3) tonight at 6 p.m.

Portageville is off until next week's Bootheel Conference Tournament, which starts Oct. 3 at Malden.