The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules volleyball team went down to the last set in their season opener.

In a matchup against the Cape Central Lady Tigers, it took five sets to decide a winner on Tuesday at Poplar Bluff Gymnasium. Despite the strong start, the Lady Mules would fall to the Lady Tigers 3-2.

After competing against the Lady Tigers last Saturday in the Hillsboro Invitational, head coach Adriann D'Amico said the team didn’t have a good showing in a scrimmage against the Lady Tigers. This time around, she said the Lady Mules played with a lot of effort and brought the perfect amount of intensity.

“These kids came out tonight, and they competed every set,” D'Amico said. “During the first two sets, everything was flowing for us, but as the game went on, I could tell that we were getting a little tired. We started making some errors, and they really cost us in the end. But I can’t take away how this team came out and competed. They worked hard and came back from those two deficits in the fourth set and in the fifth set to push a very close game. I'm super proud of their efforts.”

D'Amico said it’s the beginning of the season, so she’s excited for the Lady Mules to step on the floor and continue to get better. As they prepare for an intense season, D'Amico is excited to see how far they can go.

The Lady Mules and Tigers had a back-and-forth battle in the first set. The Lady Mules stayed out front and captured a 25-23 win, followed by a 25-21 win in the second set. Though the Lady Mules held a commanding 2-0 lead, the momentum would quickly shift over to the Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers caught fire in the third set, taking a 25-14 win, and followed with a 25-20 win in the fourth to force a final set. After an intense fifth set, the Lady Tigers pulled away with a 15-13 win to take the contest.

The Lady Mules' next matchup will be at Fox High School on Thursday as they take on the Lady Warriors.