Volleyball Recap: Shawnee Mission Northwest Comes Up Short in High-Profile Match with St. James Academy

Shawnee Mission Northwest faced St. James Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Cougars fell 2-0 to the Thunder. The loss continues a trend for the Cougars in their meetings with the Thunder: they've now lost four in a row.

Shawnee Mission Northwest was not able to win a set, but it sure wasn't from a lack of trying: every set was decided by three points or less. The match finished with set scores of 25-22, 25-23.

St. James Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Brooke Beashore, who had six digs and three aces.

Shawnee Mission Northwest's defeat dropped their record down to 19-7. As for St. James Academy, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 19-8.

Shawnee Mission Northwest wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 3-1 victory against Olathe South on the 7th. As for St. James Academy, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 2-0 win against Shawnee Mission West on the 4th.