Raiders’ season ends in state semifinal

High School Sports Raiders’ season ends in state semifinal By Staff report November 14, 2026 2 min read Trending The high school volleyball season unofficially kicked off with South Range's "Battle on the Turf" outdoor tournament back in August. So it was only fitting that the Raiders would be the last area team standing in November. The South Range volleyball team had a historic season on the line going into Friday's Division V state semifinal. The Raiders were undefeated and they were one match away from making their first state championship appearance. Standing in their way was Versailles, a powerhouse with plenty of recent tournament success over the past decade. However, the Raiders fell behind early and their season came to an end with a 3-0 loss at Wittenberg University. Versailles jumped ahead 11-6 after an attack error by Addison Freedy. Then a three-point run gave Versailles a 14-7 lead, forcing a South Range timeout. The Tigers quickly increased their lead to 19-11, and the hole was too large for the Raiders to climb out of, falling in the first set 25-14. The score was tighter in the second set. The Tigers only held a 16-15 lead midway through the frame. A kill by Lily Weaver cut the Tigers' lead to 20-19. However, back-to-back points extended Versailles' lead to 22-19 and led to a South Range timeout. But the Tigers took the second set 25-21 and pushed their match lead to 2-0. South Range kept it close in the third set as well. The Raiders trailed 19-17 late in the frame, and they later took a 23-22 lead. A reception error gave the lead back to the Tigers, resulting in a South Range timeout, but a kill by Allie Wietholer gave the set to Versailles 25-23 to complete the match. Weaver led the Raiders with 17 kills, 18.5 points and seven digs. Anna Toy had 14 kills with 15 points and seven digs, while Natalie Burnett and Parker Zwinger each had 15 assists and Haylie John finished with a team-high nine digs. The Raiders featured five seniors. The seniors class consisted of Toy, Weaver, John, Zwinger and Freedy. South Range's upperclassmen pushed the program forward over the last few years. This season, they won their first 27 games and won their first regional title in program history on Saturday.