The Licking High School volleyball team placed third in last weekend’s Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 2 final four at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.
In Friday’s round robin competition, the Lady Wildcats (31-8) lost to eventual champion Hermann 25-17, 25-9 and were beaten by St. Pius X 25-21, 25-17, before downing St. Paul Lutheran 25-22, 25-19.
In Saturday’s third-place match, Licking beat St. Paul Lutheran again, 25-13, 25-18. In the championship match, Hermann beat St. Pius X in two sets (scores not available).
Leading up to their first trip to the final four in 40 years, the Lady Wildcats qualified by downing Strafford in a quarterfinals match on the Lady Indians’ home court, 14-25, 25-23, 25-20.
Before that, Licking won the Class 2 District 9 championship Oct. 29 with a 2-set victory over Conway, 25-21, 25-18, and a comeback 3-set triumph over Liberty, 21-25, 26-24, 25-21.