Canyon, Randall, West Plains in a 3 way tie for district title

In the span of just one week, the Randall Lady Raiders have gone from comfortably controlling District 4-4A to suddenly being caught in a three-way tie for first place. After dropping two matches in four days — first to Canyon on Tuesday and then to West Plains on Saturday — the Lady Raiders’ once-firm grip on the district lead has loosened, setting up a thrilling finish to the regular season.

Saturday’s matchup between Randall and West Plains carried heavy implications, and the Lady Wolves made the most of their opportunity. Playing in front of a loud home crowd at Wolves Gym, West Plains delivered an emphatic statement with a 25-11, 25-21, 25-18 sweep of the Lady Raiders. The victory not only avenged an earlier loss to Randall in the first round of district play but also pulled the Lady Wolves (28-11 overall, 11-2 district) even with the Lady Raiders (24-14, 11-2) atop the standings.

From the opening serve, West Plains dictated the tempo. Their front row was dominant, led by standout Aaniyah Kitchen, who powered down 10 kills and added three key blocks to stifle Randall’s attack. Teagan Hudson followed closely with eight kills, while Cecilia Murillo anchored both ends of the court, tallying a double-double with 13 assists and 13 digs. The Wolves’ aggressive serving and cohesive defensive effort kept Randall on its heels throughout the match.

For the Lady Raiders, it was a frustrating outing. Despite flashes of offensive rhythm, Randall struggled to sustain momentum against West Plains’ steady pressure. Amber Matthews led the Raiders with seven kills, and Nevaeh Conner added six, but the team never found its groove. Defensively, Jaynelyn Chavarria worked tirelessly in the back row, posting a team-high 11 digs in the loss.

The defeat marked Randall’s second straight district setback after falling to Canyon earlier in the week. The Lady Eagles, meanwhile, have used this stretch to thrust themselves right back into the title race. Canyon (20-14 overall, 11-2 district) followed up Tuesday’s win over Randall with an impressive sweep of Dumas on Saturday — 25-16, 25-16, 25-13 — evening their season series with the Demonettes and keeping their championship hopes very much alive.

With all three programs — Randall, West Plains, and Canyon — sitting tied at 11-2, the final week of district play promises to be a dramatic one. Every set, every point, and every rally will matter as the trio battles for postseason seeding and district bragging rights.

For Randall, the challenge is clear: regroup quickly and recapture the form that carried them through much of the season. For West Plains, momentum is on their side as they continue to play some of their best volleyball of the year. And for Canyon, a surging defense and balanced attack have them peaking at just the right time.

As the regular season winds down, District 4-4A is shaping up to deliver a thrilling finish — one that could come down to the final serve.