By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Bishop LeBlond volleyball finished second in Class 2 after dropping the championship game in Cape Girardeau to Fair Grove.
Bishop LeBlond fought hard and kept each set close, but Fair Grove swept the championship game to finish the season undefeated. Fair Grove compiled a final record of 41-0. Bishop LeBlond finished the year 32-4-1.
The Golden Eagles went ahead early in the first set, positioned to make a run. But a well-timed timeout allowed Fair Grove to grab the momentum to take the set 25-19.
In the second set, it all Fair Grove, which took a 18-9 lead before LeBlond began to rally, getting to within two before eventually falling 25-20.
The third set went back and forth with lead changes before Fair Grove pulled away winning 25-19.
The second-place finish matches the best ending for Bishop LeBlond, which also won second place in 2021.
Junior Rilyn Conard led the way for the Golden Eagles with 10 kills, also having three aces on serves.
St. Vincent, which LeBlond defeated in the semi-finals, finished third.
Bishop LeBlond graduates only three seniors from the team, only one with significant varsity minutes. Several members of this team are expected to return next year.