KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Indians varsity volleyball team provided the Poplar Bluff Mules with a first-set scare but came up short in its bid to remain perfect against SEMO Conference foes Thursday night.
Poplar Bluff let a 24-19 lead slip away in the first set but eventually rallied to beat Kennett 26-28, 25-18, 25-13.
Poplar Bluff finished with 31 kills. Kennett recorded a dozen kills.
"Typically, if we can control the first ball so we can get it to our setters and hitters we have a great offense," Poplar Bluff coach Amanda Lance said. "But controlling the first ball isn't the easiest thing sometimes. Kennett has some good servers. We were kind of out of control on the first ball and unable to run our offense as much the first set. Once we controlled the first ball we were able to run our offense and use our size to get points at the net."
Poplar Bluff (9-5, 2-2 SEMO) and Kennett (11-4-2) traded the lead four times in the opening set.
The Mules jumped out to a 4-0 lead and continued to lead 12-9 before Kennett rallied to move ahead 13-12 and eventually increased its lead to 16-13. Poplar Bluff scored six of the next seven points to take a 19-17 lead that eventually swelled to 24-19.
Melena Green helped Kennett rally with a kill and a pair of aces over the next six points as the Indians fought off four set points and took a 25-24 lead.
A kill by Khelie Spence put the Mules back on top 26-25.
Kennett's Camryn Essary responded with a kill to tie it and the Indians moved back ahead on McKenzie Putman's kill before closing out the set when Poplar Bluff was unable to return a ball in the midst of a long rally.
"I'm so proud of the girls and the fact they don't know what it means to give up," Kennett coach Laurie Vaughan said. "They continue to fight for every point they get. I've never seen them lay down and die."
Poplar Bluff calculated five of its first 10 points on four kills and an ace as it built an early 10-4 lead in the second set. Kennett recorded the next eight points to move ahead 12-10. Melena Green recorded a pair of ace serves during the spurt.
Middle hitter Doni Everts halted Kennett's momentum when she scored four of the next six points on two kills and two blocks as Poplar Bluff surged ahead 16-12.
"She played an awesome net game," Lance said. "She started blocking everything, which was a huge momentum shift for us. We kind of rode that the rest of the second set."
Kennett cut the deficit as close as two on three occasions but was unable to slow down Poplar Bluff's offensive attack. The Mules tallied five of its final nine points on kills to take the second set 25-18.
Kennett enjoyed a brief 4-3 lead in the decisive set. Poplar Bluff followed with a 10-1 run to move ahead 13-5 and eventually enjoyed a lead as large as 24-8 in the final set.
"We couldn't get in a groove early," Lance said. "The second set we finally got the momentum and the third set we finally came out and decided to play. It was just one of those nights."
Kiley Bess paced the Mules with 12 kills. Spence added eight more kills and Everts recorded five kills.
Essary tallied a team-high five kills for Kennett. Green had four kills and four aces.
Poplar Bluff hosts Farmington Monday.
"We've got two practices to get ready for a huge district game," Lance said. "We'll have to play hard to beat Farmington because they are a good team this year."