Lady Zizzers test mettle at Ozark Tournament, prep for districts

Published 8:48 pm Friday, October 16, 2026

The West Plains Lady Zizzers volleyball team went 2-3 against a tough field at the Ozark Tournament on Oct. 9 and 10, defeating St. Francis Borgia and Greenwood (Ark.) before falling to Nixa, Lutheran and Eureka.

West Plains Head Coach Hailey Beazley noted that because the teams play multiple matches over two days, the tournament uses a predetermined, best-of-three format rather than a standard best-of-five, and no official team placements are kept.

“The majority of the teams there are state-ranked Class 4 and Class 5 teams, so we knew the weekend would be a challenge, and we know we have to challenge ourselves to be our best during the postseason,” Beazley said. “Through the trials of this weekend, we learned a lot about ourselves and the adjustments we need to make moving forward. We also proved that we can hang with anyone in the state. So while the 2-3 record may not reflect a successful weekend, it definitely was because we will use it for good.”

Oct. 9: Wins over St. Francis Borgia, Greenwood

West Plains opened the tournament Oct. 9 by defeating St. Francis Borgia 2-0 (25-21, 25-21). The Lady Zizzers tallied seven team blocks. Violet Hafer and Ashlyn Tinsley led the offense with six kills each, while Aubrey Tidwell dished out 19 assists. Emersyn Brunson anchored the defense with 18 digs.

Later that day, the Lady Zizzers beat Greenwood 2-0 (25-21, 25-17). The team served seven aces. Tinsley paced the attack with nine kills, followed by Kinley Smith and Delani Wahome with six each. Tidwell recorded 25 assists, and Natalie Ell collected 13 digs.

Oct. 10: Tough matchups against Nixa, Lutheran, Eureka

“Saturday, we started off the day great,” Beazley said. “An incredible battle with a very solid Nixa team.”

West Plains ultimately fell to Nixa 2-1, dropping a tight final set 25-22 after holding a 22-17 lead. Defensively, the team racked up seven blocks and received double-digit digs from Brunson (17), Rylee Smith (13), Tidwell (12) and Hafer (12). Emma Wiedemann served five of the team’s nine aces. Tidwell provided 21 assists, while Hafer (nine kills), K. Smith (seven) and Tinsley (six) led the attack.

“We played Lutheran after that and never found our groove back,” Beazley said of the ensuing 2-0 loss. Against Lutheran, Tinsley had seven kills and K. Smith added six. Tidwell had 21 assists, and Brunson picked up 16 digs.

West Plains closed the tournament against a formidable Class 5 Eureka squad, taking one set before falling 2-1. Tidwell recorded 23 assists. K. Smith led the offense with seven kills, followed by Hafer (six), Tinsley (five) and Wahome (five). Brunson tallied 11 digs and Ell picked up 10.

Oct. 8: West Plains sweeps Hillcrest

Prior to the tournament, the Lady Zizzers swept the Hillcrest Hornets 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-14) on Oct. 8.

Hafer led the charge with 11 kills, while Tinsley and K. Smith added eight apiece. The team served six aces, and Tidwell recorded 28 assists. Brunson collected 19 digs, while Hafer and Tidwell chipped in 10 each.

Up Next: District Tournament

The Lady Zizzers open the Class 4 District 6 Tournament on Tuesday with a 4:30 p.m. matchup against McDonald County at Logan-Rogersville High School.

The winner will advance to the semifinals to face the winner of the Hillcrest/Logan-Rogersville matchup at 2 p.m. Oct. 24. Other teams competing in the district include Carl Junction, Parkview, Willard and Springfield Central. The championship match is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 27.