A week between matches may not have been the best thing for Jefferson City.
The Lady Jays were 9-2-4 in their last 15 matches heading into Tuesday night's matchup with Kickapoo, but their only lead was 2-1 in the second set as they fell 14-25, 15-25 to the Lady Chiefs at Fleming Fieldhouse.
"It shouldn't but it appears that it may have," Jefferson City coach Lisa Hoffmeyer said about the week between matches affecting the team.
Kills by Annabelle Maassen and Baylee Rozier kept Kickapoo from pulling away after a 3-0 start.
A Rozier kill later got Jefferson City within 12-10, but the Lady Chiefs went on an 8-2 run to build their lead.
Corrin Lepper's block kept the Lady Jays alive at 24-14 before a Kickapoo kill closed out the first set.
Kickapoo had four aces during the first game.
"They just have a good flow serve and we weren't moving our feet," Hoffmeyer said. "We were reaching to the ball instead of attacking with our feet first."
Jefferson City led the second set 2-1 with a kill from Samantha Murray and a block.
A Stephanie Fisher kill tied it at 3 and Emma Gretlein added a kill to keep the Lady Jays within 8-6.
Jefferson City got as close as 10-9 but Kickapoo scored 12 of the next 16 points, forcing the Lady Jays to call a timeout.
"They have a good everything," Hoffmeyer said. "There's not a weak spot on their court. Our kids new that going into the match that they are always going to be a solid, well-coached team from year to year."
Fisher slammed down her fourth kill out of the timeout and Maassen added her fourth kill to make it 24-15.
Kickapoo's Kennedy Aurentz closed out the match with a kill.
The Lady Jays had 13 attack errors in the match.
"You always hope the offense will get going," Hoffmeyer said. "It should be going all the time. Obviously, Kickapoo is a very talented team and they forced a lot of that, but we forced a lot of it on ourselves with a lack of attention and a lack of communication."
The loss was only the fourth that ended in two sets this season.
"I've been disappointed in us as a group two times this year and it was our match against Helias and it was tonight," Hoffmeyer said.
Jefferson City (12-5-4) will play tonight at Lebanon.
Jefferson City fell in the JV match 19-25, 13-25.
Kayla Walters led the Lady Jays with seven kills and five blocks. Paige Reeser tallied 16 assists.
In the freshman match, the Lady Jays fell 13-25, 9-25.
Taylor Roettgen had three kills. Myla Chalmer and Daja Crumble each totaled four digs.