Inductees

Three years into the coach Cheryl Shores tenure, the Lockwood High School volleyball team pushed through and won its first district championship in 1983.

“It was exciting. The girls were freshmen when I started in 1980,” Shores said. “They were on board with all the changes I made to improve play.”

That team planted a seed to what would become one of the Show-Me State’s best runs in high school volleyball. And it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted that 25-year run – the 1983-2008 Era of Lockwood High School Volleyball – with the Class of 2025.

In other words, you’ll find one of the state’s best volleyball traditions in Dade County in southwest Missouri.

Shores (MSHOF 2017) coached the program from 1980 to 2008, with Marla Kemp coaching the 2003 team.

Lockwood advanced to 19 state tournaments and earned five state trophies. The Lady Tigers won the 2004 state championship in Class 1, only a year after coming close with a state runner-up finish. Lockwood placed third in 1991 and was fourth in both 1990 and 2001.

Additionally, the program made 16 state quarterfinal appearances and had five other sectionals. Lockwood also won 22 district championships and played in the district final 25 times.

Along the way, 35 players earned All-State honors, and 89 earned all-conference. The Lady Tigers also won 22 conference championships in that stretch. Overall, Lockwood’s teams were 579-170-34.

“(Thanks to the 1983 season), they became more excited for volleyball and began to dedicate themselves to the goals,” Shores said.

The secret to their success?

Shores was a hard-nosed coach, and Lockwood players didn’t mind rolling up their sleeves, so to speak, and getting to work.

The Lady Tigers never had the across-the-net height needed to truly dominate opponents.

“I had excellent setters, and the teams all were great servers,” Shores said. “Most, if not all, were over 90 percent servers. Our overall team serving percentages were in the 90s. We had one player serve 100 percent, Kara Oney in 2004. Defense was always the key to winning.”

Lockwood also had interesting superstitions.

“The most memorable traditions were the coaches wore the same clothes to every match all season, used the same pencils to keep stats every game all season, and a certain assistant knocked on wood before every serve through the years,” Shores said.

The 2004 team put the exclamation point on the program’s success.

Lockwood won the Branson Tournament, beating Class 4 Raytown and Pattonville. At state, the Lady Tigers beat Winona, Santa Fe and Gideon, coming from behind to beat Winona and Gideon.

“Those girls didn’t like to lose anything at all,” Shores said. “This team was so determined to win the state championship. There was no option.”

That state title was years in the making. The 22-win team of 1986 fueled the fire.

The 1990 team reached the Final Four, with big playoff wins against Clever and Purdy.

“It was a long period of time and preparation, and we finally reached the goal,” Shores said.

The 1991 players?

“They were dead set to get back to the Final Four,” Shores said. “Some would even ask to stay after practice and do more.”

That 1991 team in the Stockton Tournament beat El Dorado Springs, Stockton and Buffalo and lost to 22-1 Strafford.

The 2001 team fueled another fire for the teams of the 2000s.

“When we beat Fair Grove in three (sets), they realized they could play with the best and that you don’t have to be tall or big to win,” Shores said. “Just play good defense and don’t miss serves. They still have the overall state tournament record for digs (300).”

For Lockwood, other southwest Missouri teams toughened up the Lady Tigers. The schedule regularly took them to the Licking and West Plains tournaments, and El Dorado Springs and Winona were often on the schedule.

Teams wanted those tournaments. Licking played in four Final Fours in the late 1970s. Its 1975 team is an inductee of the MSHOF, as are West Plains’ 1984-1991 Volleyball Era and Winona’s entire program.

“(This induction) brings a lot of statewide recognition and a feeling of great pride for all the girls as well as myself, Mike Shores, and former players and coaches, Marla Kemp, Amy Eggerman, and Tasha Shores,” Shores said. “In addition, current head coach Sarah (Hayes) Scott and assistant Nicole (Hull) Ogden were also players. We can all think of the wins, bus rides, and accomplishments and say, ‘Hey, we did something!’”