The Lady Wildcats entered the postseason with hopes of facing top-ranked Cicero Prep in a rematch in the semi-final round of the 1A state playoff. However, those hopes were dashed with an upset loss at the hands of El Capitan in the quarterfinal round.
Joseph City entered the 1A bracket as the fourth seed and took down Williams 3-1 in the opening round. They won the first game 25-22, then dropped the second 14-25. The team bounced back, winning game three 25-19, then advanced in the bracket with a hard fought 26-24 game four win.
That win set up their match against 12th-seeded El Capitan. The Eagles had upset fifth-seeded Ash Fork in three sets in the opening round.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, El Capitan was able to maintain that momentum, although it took five close games for them to end Joseph City’s season. Seniors Amber and Audrey Neill certainly didn’t go quietly. They finished with 15 and 14 kills respectively. Tori Beatty led the team with 24 assists. Raylee Fish was close behind with 19.
El Capitan controlled the first game, taking it 25-17. They took a commanding lead with a 25-18 win in the second game. Joseph City showed their toughness, bouncing back to win game three 30-28, then tied the match with a 25-17 win in game four. With the season on the line for both teams in a decisive game five, the Lady Cats came up three points short, falling 12-15, bringing their fine season to a close.
El Capitan lost to Cicero Prep 3-1 in the semi-final round. Cicero Prep went on to win the state title with a 3-1 win over Great Hearts Anthem in the final.
Joseph City put together another outstanding season, finishing with an overall record of 34-13.
