The Questa Ladycats closed out one of the program’s strongest seasons in recent years on Friday, Nov. 14, finishing their state tournament run with a determined four-set battle against the Oak Grove Lady Eagles in the Class 2A championship bracket.
Questa entered the state tournament with momentum built on months of disciplined play, a 19–4 regular-season record, and a dominant 9–1 district finish. The Ladycats showed that same competitive edge on the state stage, pushing through pressure and refusing to fold against top-tier opponents.
After dropping the opening set 25–19, the Ladycats rallied in the second, tightening their rhythm and matching Oak Grove point for point. Despite a late surge, they narrowly fell 25–21 but carried their energy forward. In the third set, Questa delivered one of its sharpest stretches of the match, controlling the court with strong serving and improved ball movement to secure a 25–18 win and extend the fight.
Oak Grove responded with an offensive run in the fourth, taking the set 25–14 to advance and hand Questa its second loss of the double-elimination tournament.
While the match marked the end of the postseason, the Ladycats’ performance capped a remarkable year — their third straight state tournament appearance and another season defined by teamwork, resilience and a deep bench of young talent.
Coach Michelle Spears says she is proud of how the girls performed this year. “There was some concern at the end of last season because we lost seven seniors last year, however, our team showed up and picked up where they left off.” Spears says the majority of the matches during the season were won in 3 matches.
This year, Sasha Martinez served as the assistant coach and 2025 graduates Alexis Brown and Delilah Rael served as the JV coaches. ”I was surprised they wanted to come out and I was really happy about that. Having these girls on my coaching squad gave the girls a different perspective than what I was able to give them because these girls were on the court with several of them last year, so they related to them in a different way than I could,” Spears said.
When discussed what happened when the team went to state, losing in the first round to McCurdy, who they had just beat for the district championship, Spears says, “something I have seen with our team is that they tend to expect too much of themselves. They want perfection and try to play to that, instead of playing their game. When they play comfortably and play as themselves, they dominate.”
Spears says she is excited and hopeful for the next season of volleyball. “I love the sport and helping these girls realize and play to their full potential– I love it and I am really looking forward to continuing to grow our Questa volleyball program.”
The Ladycats leave the court having once again raised the bar for Questa volleyball, representing their school and community with heart, grit and undeniable success.
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