Nixa volleyball concluded its 2026 campaign with a 26-9 overall record, closing the season with a strong stretch that included a nine-match winning streak and an appearance in the Class 5 District 5 semifinals.

Under head coach Annie Zimmerman, the Eagles won 14 of their final 18 matches after opening the season 12-5. Nixa's late-season success was highlighted by a dramatic five-set comeback against Kickapoo, five consecutive tournament victories and a postseason sweep of Smith-Cotton.

The Eagles finished the year with a .743 winning percentage, recording 1,199 kills, 981 assists, 249 service aces, 147 total blocks and 1,954 digs across 101 sets.

Eagles Build Momentum in Late September

Nixa opened the final portion of its regular-season schedule Sept. 22 with a four-set victory over Carthage.

After dropping the opening set 24-26, the Eagles responded with victories of 26-24, 25-17 and 25-12 to secure the match.

Mya McCubbin led Nixa with 16 kills, while Makinley Burbridge contributed four total blocks. The Eagles finished with 54 kills, 39 assists, 11 service aces and 91 digs.

View the Nixa vs. Carthage box score.

Nixa followed with a sweep of Republic on Sept. 24, recording 45 kills and nine service aces while hitting .275.

The Eagles then traveled to St. Dominic on Sept. 26 for three tournament matches. After dropping three-set contests against St. Dominic and Jackson, Nixa responded with a three-set victory over Lafayette.

The Eagles continued building momentum with sweeps of Neosho on Sept. 29 and Glendale on Oct. 1. Nixa hit .266 against Neosho and recorded 13 service aces.

A three-set defeat to Ozark on Oct. 6 briefly interrupted that stretch, but the Eagles responded with a sweep of Lebanon on Oct. 8 to begin their longest winning streak of the season.

Tournament Success Fuels Winning Streak

Nixa carried its momentum into tournament competition at the Ozark Grand Slam on Oct. 9-10, winning five consecutive matches against Lutheran St. Charles, St. Joseph's Academy, West Plains, Park Hill South and Olathe Northwest.

The Eagles swept Lutheran St. Charles and St. Joseph's Academy on Oct. 9 before defeating West Plains in three sets the following day.

Against West Plains, Nixa recorded 83 digs and a season-high 12 total blocks.

The Eagles followed with sweeps of Park Hill South and Olathe Northwest. Nixa hit .271 and recorded 10 service aces against Park Hill South before finishing the tournament stretch with 30 kills and 28 assists against Olathe Northwest.

The five victories extended Nixa's winning streak to six matches and positioned the Eagles for a late-season conference showdown with Kickapoo.

Eagles Complete Dramatic Comeback Against Kickapoo

One of the defining moments of Nixa's season came Oct. 13 when the Eagles rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Kickapoo in five sets.

Kickapoo claimed the opening two sets, 25-23 and 25-21, before Nixa responded with a 25-16 victory in the third.

The Eagles then edged the Chiefs 26-24 in the fourth set, forcing a decisive fifth.

Nixa completed the comeback with a 15-13 victory in the final set.

Cora Kubik led the Eagles offensively with 19 kills and a .268 hitting percentage. Nixa finished with 59 kills, 46 assists, 10 service aces, eight total blocks and a season-high 116 digs.

The victory extended Nixa's winning streak to seven matches.

View the Oct. 13 Nixa vs. Kickapoo box score.

Nixa returned to action Oct. 15 and swept Waynesville, 25-18, 25-13, 25-12.

Kubik led the Eagles with 12 kills, while senior Kate McCowan contributed eight kills on a .778 hitting percentage and added three total blocks.

As a team, Nixa hit .292 and finished with 40 kills, 36 assists and nine service aces.

View the Nixa vs. Waynesville box score.

Nixa Advances to District Semifinals

Nixa entered the Class 5 District 5 Tournament as the No. 2 seed and opened postseason play Oct. 22 against seventh-seeded Smith-Cotton.

The Eagles swept the Tigers, 25-22, 25-13, 25-14, to advance to the district semifinals.

Kubik led Nixa with 14 kills and a .407 hitting percentage, while Burbridge contributed six kills and three total blocks.

The Eagles recorded 35 kills, 29 assists, eight service aces and 50 digs in the victory.

View the Nixa vs. Smith-Cotton district quarterfinal box score.

The victory extended Nixa's winning streak to nine matches and improved the Eagles' record to 26-8.

Two days later, Nixa faced third-seeded Kickapoo in a rematch of its five-set regular-season victory.

The district semifinal delivered another closely contested matchup, with the teams splitting the opening four sets.

Nixa claimed the first set 25-20 before Kickapoo responded with a 25-16 victory in the second. The Eagles regained the advantage with a 25-16 win in the third, but the Chiefs forced a fifth set with a 25-18 victory in the fourth.

Kickapoo captured the deciding set 15-9 to secure the 3-2 victory and end Nixa's season.

Kubik led the Eagles with 16 kills, while McCowan recorded five total blocks.

Nixa finished with 45 kills, 40 assists, nine service aces, eight total blocks and 101 digs.

View the Oct. 24 Nixa vs. Kickapoo district semifinal box score.

Individual Performances Highlight 2026 Campaign

Nixa's success throughout the 2026 season was supported by contributions across the lineup, with several Eagles finishing among the team's statistical leaders.

Cora Kubik led Nixa offensively with 353 kills, averaging 3.5 per set while posting a .235 hitting percentage. Mya McCubbin followed with 321 kills and a 3.2-per-set average. Ava Wood contributed 167 kills, while junior Maya Burbridge added 131.

Peyton Creed directed the Eagles' offense with a team-high 552 assists, averaging 5.5 per set. Sophia Estes added 332 assists, averaging 3.9 per set, as the two combined for 884 of Nixa's 981 assists.

Libero Mara Coulter anchored the defense with a team-leading 642 digs, averaging 6.4 per set. McCubbin contributed 325 digs, while junior Anna Pearcy finished with 276 and Creed added 234.

At the net, Kate McCowan led the Eagles with 62 total blocks, including 36 solo blocks and 26 block assists. Burbridge followed with 51 total blocks, while McCubbin recorded 25.

Nixa also received strong production from the service line. Creed led the Eagles with 59 service aces, followed by Coulter with 56, Pearcy with 50 and McCubbin with 34.

The Eagles' balanced production helped Nixa finish the season with 1,199 kills, 981 assists, 249 service aces, 147 total blocks and 1,954 digs across 101 sets.

By the Numbers: 2026 Season

Nixa finished the season with a 26-9 overall record and a .743 winning percentage.

Across 35 matches and 101 sets, the Eagles recorded:

• 1,199 kills, averaging 11.9 per set.
• 981 assists, averaging 9.7 per set.
• 249 service aces, averaging 2.5 per set.
• 147 total blocks, averaging 1.5 per set.
• 1,954 digs, averaging 19.3 per set.
• .163 team hitting percentage and an 89.4% serving percentage.

Among the Eagles' notable single-match performances were 59 kills and 116 digs against Kickapoo on Oct. 13, 13 service aces against Neosho on Sept. 29 and 12 total blocks against West Plains on Oct. 10.

Looking Back on the Season

Nixa's 2026 season was defined by its ability to respond to adversity and produce victories against a competitive schedule.

After winning nine of 11 matches during September, the Eagles closed the regular season with eight consecutive victories and carried that momentum into the district tournament.

Nixa's five-set comeback against Kickapoo, productive tournament performances and postseason victory over Smith-Cotton highlighted a campaign that ended with 26 wins and a district semifinal appearance.

The Eagles will look to build on their accomplishments as the program prepares for the 2027 season.