Tiger Volleyball Falls to Oak Park in Season Opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Sept. 3, 2024) — The Excelsior Springs Tigers girls varsity volleyball team opened their season against the Oak Park Northmen on Tuesday under new head coach Cindy Price. Despite a strong effort, the Tigers fell in three straight sets, with scores of 14-25, 14-25, and 22-25.

Junior Jordin Price led the Tigers offensively, registering 5 kills on 19 attempts, while Samantha Shue and Lillah Shue each contributed 4 kills. The team posted 21 total kills, resulting in a hitting percentage of .127. Camden McDaniels also added 3 kills for the Tigers.

On defense, senior Brooklyn Sharp stood out with 13 digs, while Kenzlee McDaniels added 6 digs to support the defensive efforts. As a team, the Tigers recorded 33 total digs, holding their ground against Oak Park’s aggressive offense.

The Tigers’ serving was another strong point, with Jordin Price leading the way with a perfect 100% serve rate, contributing 6 points. As a team, Excelsior Springs posted an overall serving percentage of 82.7%.

While the Tigers faced challenges in maintaining consistency against the Northmen, they showed marked improvement, pushing Oak Park to a close 22-25 finish in the final set.

Junior Varsity

The JV Tigers also fell to Oak Park, losing in two sets with scores of 19-25 and 8-25, as Oak Park took control early and maintained their dominance throughout the match.

Freshman Izabella Maxwell and junior Bella Desautels each contributed 2 kills, while sophomore Raelyn Kirtley added another kill. Kirtley also led the team in assists with 6, playing a pivotal role in setting up the Tigers’ offensive plays.

Defensively, junior Neveah Happy led the Tigers with 8 digs, while sophomores Kendalyn Jones and Lara Hutton added 2 digs each. The team recorded 17 total digs, fighting hard against Oak Park’s offense.

Serving was another bright spot for the Tigers, with Izabella Maxwell and Kendalyn Jones each achieving 100% serve accuracy. Raelyn Kirtley and Neveah Happy also earned points from their serves. Despite the loss, the JV Tigers showed resilience and moments of promise against a strong Oak Park team.