Poplar Bluff built a 20-17 lead in both games Tuesday night only to see Notre Dame serve up a come-from-behind sweep.
Alexa Clark's serve clipped the net and fell in to break a 23-all tie in the first game, while her serve helped the Bulldogs rally in the second for a 25-23, 25-23 win over the Mules in a SEMO Conference match at the Senior High Gym.
"We know Notre Dame is a good team and they're a good serving team," Mules coach Amanda Lance said. "Not a lot of hard serves but the ball would float."
Poplar Bluff (8-5, 1-2 SEMO) led 20-15 trying to force a third game when Notre Dame (10-5-3, 2-0) got the serve back.
Clark had consecutive aces during a seven-point rally by the Bulldogs, who took the lead on a serve-receive error. Hannah Landewe put down a free ball off a serve-receive dig for a 22-20 advantage. The Mules held off match point twice before Lexi Welter's kill deflected off a block and ended the match.
A kill by Kiley Bess pushed Poplar Bluff's lead to 22-19 in the first game before consecutive errors and a kill by NO16) tied it at 22-all. Khelie Spence put the Mules ahead with a kill that caught the back-row player in the chest but the ensuing serve sailed long for a 23-all tie and Notre Dame took the next two points.
"We controlled the game pretty much all the way until the end," Lance said. "Then, kind of emotions get high and everyone kind of hopes someone else takes the ball.
"I tell them all the time, if you wish it away it will find you."
Bess led the Mules with nine kills, Spence chipped in six while Hannah Vaughn provided 18 assists and a pair of aces. Haley Slaughter led with 15 digs while libero Ady Kingree chipped in nine to go with an assist and a kill.
Welter led Notre Dame with eight kills and 11 digs, while Shelby Bauwens added six kills. Brooke Blankenship had 17 assists.
The Mules led by as much as four in the first game, which featured seven ties, and was up by five in the second before Notre Dame caught up at 20-all.
"It's early in the season," Lance said. "I'm hoping that it's happening now so we can learn from it and move forward. That's all we can do. I'd rather it happen now than start happening later."
Poplar Bluff, which travels Thursday to Kennett, lost the junior varsity match 25-21, 25-15.
CROSS COUNTRY
West Plains dominated its own meet Tuesday as Poplar Bluff placed second in the boys race while the girls were third as a team.
Katie Sliger, who won her first two races of the season, placed fifth for Poplar Bluff while Wesley Moore was 11th to lead the Mules.
The Zizzers had a perfect score, finishing first through fifth, and had all seven runners in the top 10 before Moore crossed the finish line in a season-best time of 17 minutes, 48 seconds. The Mules were second with 95 points, 80 behind the host and 10 better than Willow Springs.
Ben Stasney won the 5,000-meter boys race for West Plains in 16:14.
Sliger finished in 20:46 as Poplar Bluff was third as a team, four points behind second-place Mountain Home's 54. West Plains won with 19 points, taking the top three spots, led by Kaylee Hatley's winning time of 19:44.
Poplar Bluff's Katelyn Moeller finished 11th in 22:36 while Brooke Slayton (23:50) placed 13th, Ava Smith (25:37) was 21st followed by MacKenzie Dowd (25:49) and Alexis Richardson (25:57) while Natalie Clark (26:58) was 28th.
Jaden Deaton's 18:10 was 14th while Victor Olivan (18:50) was 18th. Parker Nagy (20:15) was 29th, Seth Ingle (20:55) 35th followed by Brent Worley (20:57) while Jonathan Gordon (21:46) was 42nd.
Kenya Jones ran the 2,400-meter junior varsity race in 13:07 for fourth place to lead Poplar Bluff while Brendan Yarbro (11:42) was 10th to lead the Mules.