At times this season the thought of winning a state championship seemed unfathomable for the Liberty Christian girls basketball team. A constant battle with injuries hindered an already limited …
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Liberty Christian Girls Win State
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
At times this season the thought of winning a state championship seemed unfathomable for the Liberty Christian girls basketball team.A constant battle with injuries hindered an already limited lineup for the Eagles, leaving Matilyn Voss with much of the offensive load through a rigorous stretch of games.“There were a few games where I was like, ‘how am I going to do this on my own,” recalled Matilyn.But when it mattered most, the entire team was healthy and determined.Heading into the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association State Tournament last week, the Eagles were confident in their chances of claiming the title. By Saturday they were hoisting the trophy after a 44-30 win over Westwood.“It was the best feeling ever,” said Avery Dickson, who netted a team-high 22 points. “It didn’t really hit me until after the game. It felt like we accomplished what we’d been working toward, because I’ve been playing for six years (dating back to middle school).”The season wasn’t all positive for Dickson, who spent the first couple weeks sidelined with an injury. Voss also faced an injury, but the most crucial blow came when the Eagles lost Kayley Hulverson for the season.“Losing Kayley was really hard because she was our third guard and our ball-handler on the left,” said Dickson.The Eagles managed to persevere, playing their best basketball at the right time as part of a tremendous tournament showing.“I felt like we had a pretty good chance of winning,” said Coach Matt Voss. “We were beginning to play well.”They opened with a 57-20 win over Crosspoint on Thursday, led by Voss with 29 points. Dickson added 17 points. Voss went 5 for 7 from beyond the arc.“Avery and Matilyn are at the top of their careers as far as their ability,” said Voss. “They’re both quick and run at you the whole game.”Liberty Christian returned on Friday to defeat Providence Christian 37-18. Dickson and Voss each scored 14 points during the win.“We knew that Providence would be our toughest opponent, because we had only beaten them by one in conference,” said Dickson.Going into Saturday the Eagles were still feeling the disappointment of a blowout during last year’s state championship.“We had our eyes on it after getting beaten last year at state,” said Coach Voss. “That was probably more gratifying knowing we lost last year and were able to come away with the trophy this year.”They surged out to a 12-2 start before Westwood came roaring back to climb within a bucket at 21-19 at halftime.“We had pressed early, so once we got back to that we were fine,” said Coach Voss.A big third quarter helped secure the win for the Eagles, who won their first state title since the 2007 season.“We were determined to win this year after getting second last year,” said Matilyn Voss. “To see our hard work pay off is really gratifying.”Coach Voss says a multitude of players had to fill in roles around Dickson and Voss in order for the Eagles to be successful. Melissa Kirby, Kaylen Jordan, Arianna Fox and Katie Pearson each got a chance to contribute during the championship game.“I think that we’ll be a lot stronger next season,” said Matilyn Voss, with she and Dickson both returning. Dickson and Voss were both named to the All-Tournament team.
The Liberty Christian girls basketball team won the MCSAA State Tournament last Saturday.
