Sports – Wednesday, July 15th, 2026

Last week the Salem Volleyball Lady Tigers were on the road down in Cape Girardeau for the Rib City Shootout. Prior to the event the team entered a skills clinic led by Coach Maile Gannon, a Pursuit Volleyball Master Coach and Pursuit 17 National Head Coach. The Lady Tigers Volleyball Head Coach Mackenzie Stoner reported that her team gained valuable experience that carried over into tournament play. The Rib City Shootout had the Lady Tigers compete in nine matches against squads from Nettleton, Jackson, Saxony Lutheran, Notre Dame, St. Paul, and Lesterville. The girls played 19 total sets over the course of the tournament and won or split six of their nine games. Coach Stoner said that one of the biggest highlights was splitting a game with Saxony Lutheran, a program that advanced to the Final Four last season. She continued to say that the game was a huge statement for the team and showed that they can compete with some of the best. She’s incredibly proud of the effort, resilience, and growth this team showed all weekend. She concluded that during the tournament, every match made the team better, and this group continues to prove that they are capable of competing at a high level. The future is bright for Salem Volleyball! The Salem Lady Tigers’ Volleyball season will begin on Sept. 1, 2026 against the St. James Lady Tigers at the Salem High School Gym.

Jordan Walker made St. Louis Cardinals history during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby Monday night. As if written for a Hollywood movie, Jordan found himself down five home runs with only three swings left. A format change in this year’s event allowed batters to keep hitting home runs on their last swing so long as each hit left the park. Jordan proceeded to hit six homers in a row, defeating the overwhelming favorite, Kyle Schwarber. The newly crowned Derby Champion will rejoin his team for a game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks this Friday.