Any other year, Owensville Middle School (OMS) Dutchgirl volleyball would be near the halfway point of their season.

This year, winter weather during a two-week stretch in February caused the OMS spikers to not be able to get practices in due to school being canceled because of poor road conditions or dangerously cold weather.

COVID-19 has also played a factor in the delayed start to the OMS Dutchgirl volleyball season.

Due to a positive test reported back on Friday, Feb. 26, both the seventh and eighth-grade Dutchgirl volleyball teams had to go into quarantine.

This caused five matches and participation in a tournament to be postponed and rescheduled.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25, their season opener on the road at Bland had to be moved to Friday, March 19 as both the Dutchgirls and Lady Bears did not have enough practices in to be able to open their respective seasons.

With snow still on the ground and schools out of session, the annual Bourbon 8th Grade Volleyball Tournament that was supposed to take place on Saturday, Feb. 27 wound up being canceled. It will not be rescheduled.

Matches scheduled for last week affected by the quarantine included last Tuesday’s home match with Pacific, last Wednesday’s road match at St. James, Thursday’s road match at Hermann, Monday’s home match with Bourbon and last night’s (Tuesday) road match at St. Clair.

Scheduled to compete last Saturday in the Steelville 7th grade volleyball tournament, Owensville was not able to participate and the tournament was eventually canceled with no reschedule date.

Of the five affected matches, three of them were able to be rescheduled with the exception of the St. James and Bourbon matches.

OMS will open their season Friday night in front of the home fans at Owensville Elementary School against Pacific’s Lady Indians beginning at 5:30 p.m., with the seventh-grade match.

Rescheduled from Thursday, March 4, Gasconade County middle school volleyball bragging rights will now be on the line at Hermann on Wednesday, March 17 beginning at 5:30 p.m., at Hermann Middle School.

Last night’s (Tuesday) originally scheduled match with St. Clair will now be played on Wednesday, March 24 at St. Clair beginning at 5:30 p.m.