With two weeks to play in the regular season the Potosi volleyball team was tied atop the Six Rivers West standings.
     When the dust settled, the Chieftains finished the season in a second-place tie with Highland (16–11, 8–4 SRW), a full two games back of surging Belmont (16–7–1, 10–2).
     Swooning Potosi lost three of its final four matches, including an Oct. 8 rematch with the champion Braves, and back-to-back losses to Benton and Highland last week.
     Needing a win to keep pace with sizzling Belmont, Potosi dropped a four-set match at Benton last Tuesday night, 26–24, 17–25, 30–28, 25–23 and was eliminated from title contention.
     Junior Taylor Kennedy had a team-high 19 kills in the match. Sophomore Maddie Hawes added 12 kills and 11 digs.
Thursday the Chieftains (14–13, 8–4) lost to visiting Highland 25–17, 25–16, 19–25, 25–16.
     “The week was a little disappointing for us,” said Potosi head coach Mallory Mau. “We were really hoping to get a piece of a conference championship, but we did not achieve that goal. We ended our regular season 8–4, but we are ready to make a run in the tournament.”
     The Chieftains looked to snap out of its late-season funk Tuesday night when they opened the WIAA Division 4 playoffs with a home match versus 14th seed Cassville (2–21, 0–12 SRW). With a victory third-seeded Potosi will host either No. 6 Seneca or No. 11 De Soto Thursday night. The regional final is set for Saturday.

Benton 3, Potosi 1
(from Tuesday, Oct. 15 @ Benton)
Potosi        24    25    28    23
Benton        26    17    30    25
Belmont stat leaders
Kills: Taylor Kennedy 19, Maddie Hawes 12, Liz Reuter 9. Blocks: Reuter 2. Assists: Haley Flesch 39. Aces: Hawes 2, Kennedy 2. Digs: Taryn Stappert 23, Kerrigan Stappert 11, Hawes 11.

Highland 3, Potosi 1
(from Thursday, Oct. 17 @ Potosi)
Highland        25    25    19    25
Potosi        17    16    25    16
Belmont stat leaders
Kills: Taylor Kennedy 13. Blocks: none. Assists: Haley Flesch 24. Aces: Taryn Stappert 2. Digs: Kerrigan Stappert 17.