Nixa volleyball is headed back to the Final Four with its 3-0 victory against Blue Springs South, marking the program's fifth overall and the first since 2020.

Click here to recap the game and view photos.

The Nixa Eagles will face the Lafayette (Wildwood) Lancers in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov.  6, at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph, Mo. The contest against the Lancers marks the 19th all-time and second of this season.

Admission to the game is $12 and must be purchased online here or at the link below.

The game is at The Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo. (100 N Fourth St, St Joseph, MO 64501).
Click here for Apple Maps Directions.
Click here for Google Maps Directions.

Nixa returns to the Final Four for the second time in five years and enters the semifinal matchup on a 13-game winning streak with a record of 28-9 and MaxPreps' No. 6-ranked team in the state.

Lafayette, the District 2 champion and three-time defending state champions, swept Cor Jesu Academy (25-18, 25-19, 25-16) to secure its fourth straight berth. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) No. 22 nationally-ranked team and the MaxPreps No. 1 state-ranked team enter Thursday's matchup on a 23-game win streak, boasting a record of 38-1 with its only defeat coming to Lee's Summit West 2-1. 

Nixa and Lafayette clashed early in the regular season at the Rockwood Invitational, and the Eagles fell to the Lancers 2-1 (25-21, 14-25, 16-25). All-time, Nixa is 5-13-1 against the Lancers, dating back to 2007. During the 2019-2025 stretch, the Eagles managed four of their five wins, including the elusive state title in 2019. 

Both teams faced 11 familiar opponents in the regular season and had nearly identical results. The two defeated Eureka, Jefferson City, Marquette, Ozark, Park Hill South, St. Francis Borgia, St. Pius X (Festus), Webb City, and Fayetteville, Ark., while each fell to Lee's Summit West. Lafayette defeated Hoover, Ala., while the Eagles dropped their contest against them.

The Eagles return to the Final Four for the first time since 2020, when Nixa made back-to-back appearances. They are making their fifth overall appearance, four of which have been led by head coach Annie Zimmerman. The Eagles captured the Class 4 2019 title against Lafayette (22-17, 25-22), and were the Class 5 runners-up to Liberty North in 2020. The previous two outings witnessed the Eagles place fourth (1999 3A, 1997 3A)

The Lancers are making their fourth consecutive appearance and the program's 12th overall. Lafayette, guided by 2023 Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee Zach Young, has hoisted the last three championships, defeating Ozark in 2024, Francis Howell in 2023, and Kickapoo in 2022. Young has led the Lancers for eight of their nine state titles.

Entering this year's contest, the Lancers have the edge over the Eagles, averaging 2.3 points per match to Nixa's 2.1, while allowing .3 points per match to Nixa's .7. Lafayette has tallied 1364 kills with 1245 assists to Nixa's 1320-1087 assists. The Lancers have also totaled 298 aces and 233 blocks to the Eagles 261-133. Defensively, Nixa leads with 2079 digs and 1650 receptions to Lafayette's 1662-1471.

6-foot-1 senior hitter Gwen Kubik leads the Eagles in kills with 346, and 5-foot-8 and six-positional-rotation senior Taylor Wood also surpassed 300 kills (322). 5-foot-11 sophomore Cora Kubik (210) and 5-foot-7 senior Addy Bybee (194) also have triple-digit kills to help the Eagles versatile attack. 5-foot-7 sophomore Peyton Creed leads in assists with 544, while Wood is behind at 418. At the net, 6-foot-1 junior Kimberlyn McCowan has totaled 36 blocks to lead the Eagles, and Bybee (31), Wood (30), Gwen Kubik (30), and Cora Kubik (25) added 20-plus as well.

The Lancers are led by their junior 6-foot-3 University of Nebraska commit and one of the nation's top-ranked players, Shaye Witherspoon, who leads her team in kills (575) and aces (91). Senior 5-foot-6 and University of San Diego commit Addy Wiese leads the team in digs (521) and receptions (419). Aubrey Toti (287), Peyton Dolly (174), Claire Ulrich (134), and Adayah Sievers (112) added triple-digit kills. Dolly leads the Lancers in blocks (96) and Hailey Lowery in assists (606).

The other semifinal matchup is Lee's Summit North (29-7) and Incarnate Word Academy (24-14) at noon. The winners of each meet on Friday, Nov. 7, at noon, and the losers at 10 a.m.

Click here for the Class 5 state tournament bracket.

The Final Four games will be live-streamed courtesy of MSHSAA on MSHAA.tv here for $15. Nixa will have an audio-only cast and a live scoreboard that can be viewed for free on the Nixa Public Schools YouTube page (@nixapublicschools) here or at the link below.
Nixa Public Schools will provide live updates on its athletics social media accounts (@nixaathletics). Make sure to follow to stay updated.
Twitter (X)
Facebook
Instagram

Important State Final 4 Informational Links:
Class 5 State Tournament Bracket
Admission ($12)
Live Audio-Only Cast (Free)
Semifinal Live Broadcast ($15)
3rd Place Live Broadcast ($15)
Championship Broadcast ($15)
Twitter (X)
Facebook
Instagram