BY JIM HENRY

How loaded is the Nixa sectional?

Webb City, with a 28-6 season record, has the fewest victories among the four teams. The Cardinals play Nixa (32-4) at 1 p.m., followed by Willard (31-4) vs. Jefferson City (31-5-3) at 2:30. The winners square off at 4.

Webb City has lost to all three teams this season — Nixa in two sets and Willard and Jefferson City in three sets. Nixa and Willard shared the Central Ozark Conference title with one loss apiece.

"This sectional will definitely be a huge test," coach Rhonda Lawrence said. "We're obviously the underdog coming in because we have been beaten by the other three teams. But it wasn't like we got killed by them or don't have a chance. It's just we didn't play quite as well or they executed better than we did on that day. This time of season, anybody can beat anybody. We're all obviously very good programs and teams. It's who's going to put it out on the floor. We're going to go out with a no-regrets mindset and play the hardest we can and hopefully we win."

Webb City's starting lineup has Allie Johnson at setter, Anna Swearengen at outside hitter, Maddy Peeples at outside hitter, Talyn Smith at middle, Jasmine Putman at middle, Sage Crane at libero.

Anna Hettinger (setter) and Abby Stork (back row) are in the substitution rotation.

The Cardinals are in the state tournament for the first time since 2006.

"We graduated a huge senior class, so a lot of people didn't have a lot of faith in what we had coming back," Lawrence said. "We only had two starters, or 2 1/2, coming back. Losing that big of a senior class, everybody was kind of counting us out. But we knew what we had, so we had higher expectations on ourselves. We really wanted to make a statement. I think the girls have played with a lot more mental stability, mental toughness."

Joplin Globe 11/02/2019 (Used by permission)