Lady Tigers fall in district championship
Published 11:30 am Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Last Monday and Tuesday became a rollercoaster ride for the Lady Tigers volleyball team as they stunned the #1 seed Ash Grove Lady Pirates on Monday but struggled to find the magic on Tuesday as they were swept by the Miller Cardinals in the Class 2, District 11 Championship match at Diamond High School.
After knocking off New Heights Christian the previous week, the Lady Tigers were matched up against Ash Grove in a district semifinal matchup on Monday evening. The Lady Pirates, who entered the contest as the #1 seed, boasted a 24-8-1 record entering the contest. The Lady Tigers, playing arguably their best volleyball of the season, throttled Ash Grove in the first two sets, 25-15 and 25-18. Ash Grove rallied to take the third set, 20-25, but the Lady Tigers grabbed the fourth and final set in a close game, 25-23. Shia Roberts led the team in digs with 15 while teammates Brylee Norman and Asia Graham both recorded double digit digs. Emmalyn Naylor had two aces while Roberts and Graham each recorded one ace each.
On Tuesday evening, the Lady Tigers returned to Diamond to face the #2 seed Miller Cardinals who had swept Diamond the previous evening in the other semifinal matchup. The Lady Tigers struggled to find the magic from the night before as Miller won in straight sets, 11-25, 10-25, and 19-25. Stockton failed to score back-to-back points in the first two sets and accomplished that feat only three times, all in the final set. The Lady Tigers rallied in the third set after falling behind, scoring eight in a row to cut Miller’s lead to four, but the Cardinals were able to right the ship and take the win, and the district title, 25-19. The Lady Tigers committed 40 errors to Miller’s 18 while the Cardinals won the battle in most statistical categories. Shia Roberts contributed 16 digs and an ace while Asia Graham recorded 5 aces and 13 digs.
The Lady Tigers were disappointed in the loss but the season was a success as the team tripled their win total over last season while showing improvement in all areas of the game. Although three seniors, Shia Roberts who recently earned her 1,000th assist, HayLeigh Burres, and Leighton Rader have played their final volleyball match, a significant core of the team will be returning next season, hoping to continue to be a force in the Southwest Conference. The Lady Tigers finished the season with a 15-16-5 record.
