It took an unlikely comeback to erase 14 years of frustration for the Poplar Bluff volleyball team Monday night.
The Mules survived five set points in overcoming a 23-15 deficit to take the opening game, then beat defending district champion Farmington for the first time in 21 matches, 26-24, 25-14 at the Senior High Gym.
"That is nuts," Mules coach Amanda Lance said of the first-set comeback. "That doesn't happen, especially against a team like Farmington.
"It's awesome."
Poplar Bluff last beat the Knights in 2003 at Peters Gym and had lost seven of the last 21 matches in three sets, including twice last season. In the district championship, the Mules took the first game by two points then lost the next two, ending with a four-point loss in the decisive third set.
The Mules (10-5) fell behind Monday night when Farmington (12-8) broke a 14-all tie with five straight points leading to a 9-1 run.
"We were all in it, we all came together and we just wanted to win," senior Hannah Vaughn said. "Point by point by point, we just wanted to win so bad."
Down 23-15 and with no timeouts left, Kiley Bess got a kill in the middle hitting into a Farmington block then served up an ace. The Knights reached game point, 24-18, on a kill by DeShay Tate but Haley Slaughter's kill got the Mules the serve back.
Slaughter's ensuing serve was dug to the net and Poplar Bluff senior Doni Everts put down the free ball for the kill. The Knights then sent a spike into the net on a cross-court set before an ace by Slaughter forced a timeout by Farmington, which led 24-22.
Tate's attack off the serve-receive sailed long before Sophia Rowland put down a kill to tie it then hammered another for the lead. Farmington's Blair Busenbark spiked the ball off the antenna to give the Mules the set.
Slaughter, a sophomore, served up seven straight points in the comeback with no room for error.
"That hasn't been our strong point of our team this year, serving with some pressure," Lance said. "That is huge. I gave a lot of credit to her tonight. That's hard to do when you're back there thinking one little missed toss is going to end the game for you against your big district rival."
A service error by the Mules broke a 14-all tie earlier in the opening game. Jesse Miller's block of Spence added to Farmington's lead while her kill in the middle capped a five-point run. Bess answered with a kill in the middle but the Knights got the serve back on the next point then got consecutive blocks for points before a passing error put Poplar Bluff into an eight-point deficit.
"It's more of a mental game and we've been working on our mental game," Everts said. "To pull it through, for us actually to do it, is a big accomplishment. I'm very proud of my team."
Bess led the Mules with seven kills and three aces while Rowland and Khelie Spence each had four kills. Everts, Slaughter and Vaughn each chipped in three kills with Vaughn providing 16 assists. Ady Kingree had 12 digs, keeping alive points early in the opening game as the Mules built a lead.
After the Knights opened with a 4-1 run, Poplar Bluff answered with a 6-1 swing ending with Kingree's diving dig before Slaughter's tipped kill. Kingree made another diving dig later to keep a rally alive before another kill by Slaughter put the Mules up 11-7.
"Ady had some big digs tonight," Vaughn said. "We've been working on defense a lot."
Farmington chipped away, eventually pulling even at 12, 13 and 14-all.
Poplar Bluff never trailed in the second game, breaking a 1-1 tie on a kill by Bess before an ace from Rowland.
A net violation and three straight spikes into the net put Farmington into an 8-3 deficit. In all, the Knights committed 22 errors to Poplar Bluff's 19.
"I don't think they played up to their capability tonight, but we came out with a win and we needed that," Lance said.
Farmington got within three points twice in the second game before the Mules closed out the match with a 9-1 run that included seven straight points.
"Once we fought back (in the first game), I think it gave the girls a glimmer of hope, like hey we can do this, and just took control of the second set," Lance said.
Poplar Bluff had won the opening game four times during the losing streak to the Knights, which featured eight postseason meetings, six with the district title on the line. The Mules last beat Farmington in a postseason meeting in the 1998 district semifinal.
The teams could meet again in October when the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 tournament will be played in Farmington, which has won six of the last seven titles.
"They will continue to get better and give us everything towards districts," Lance said. "So, we're never going to overlook Farmington, I don't think, if we beat them once in a season."
Poplar Bluff, which lost the junior varsity match 25-20, 25-12, will host its final home match of the season Tuesday.