Rockwood Summit's girls volleyball team plays in its first state semifinal Thursday, Nov. 5, facing St. Dominic at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph.
The Falcons punched their ticket Oct. 31 with a 3-0 sweep of Festus (25-16, 25-20, 27-25) in the Class 4 state quarterfinal at Summit High School in Fenton. It was the program's first-ever trip to the Final Four, according to Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) records.
Head coach Kaitlyn Dunn watched the quarterfinal win with her newborn daughter, just under three weeks old, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Post-Dispatch dubbed the baby Summit's "good luck charm."
Dunn, a 2015 Rockwood Summit graduate, took over the program in 2025. She returned to her alma mater after serving as an assistant coach at Fort Zumwalt South and with the Rockwood Thunder club program, according to an April 2025 announcement from RSHS Falcon Sports on X.
The results speak for themselves. Summit entered the district tournament as the No. 1 seed with a 22-9-1 regular-season record, then beat Nerinx Hall 3-2 in the district semifinal and Ursuline Academy 3-2 in a five-set district championship on Oct. 26. The Falcons' overall record now stands at 26-9-1.
Thursday's opponent brings serious postseason experience. St. Dominic (23-9) has made five previous Final Four appearances, finishing third in 2008 and 2021 and fourth in 2017, 2020 and 2022, per MSHSAA records. Summit has zero prior Final Four trips.
The head-to-head history also tilts toward St. Dominic. The Falcons are 0-4 all-time against the Lady Crusaders, including a 0-2 loss at the Rockwood Classic on Sept. 11. But Summit has never faced St. Dominic in the state tournament.
Senior outside hitter Lucy Vanderheyden delivered the match-winning kill in the quarterfinal against Festus, according to the Post-Dispatch.
The match begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at 100 N. Fourth St. in St. Joseph.
