POPLARVILLE, Miss. — After finishing strong in the Region 23 Tournament last fall, the Pearl River volleyball team looks to carry that momentum into the 2025 season.

With a mix of returning contributors, new additions and a promising freshman class, head coach Haley Chatham believes the Wildcats are positioned to take a step forward.

"Experience should be on our side this season," Chatham said. "We were freshman-heavy in 2024, and most of those finished the season with meaningful time in matches. It will be up to them to use the experience."

Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central), Skyla Rann (Gonzales, La., East Ascension), Avery Wheat (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension) and Jordyn Wilks (Hammond, La.; Hammond Magnet) saw significant time during their freshman seasons and should be primed for success as sophomores.

Mears was a First Team All-MACCC selection last season from the middle blocker position. She tallied 83 block assists, which were the third most in a single season in program history. She also tacked on 270 kills, 116 digs and 26 aces.

Rann finished her freshman season with 442 assists and 263 digs as a setter. Wheat led the Wildcats in kills as a freshman, tallying 271. She added 46 blocks and 339 digs. Wilks saw the court often as the season wrapped up, finishing the season with 167 digs and 44 assists.

"All four of those players are expected to be anchors for us in '25," Chatham said. "They are all considerably faster now, and their volleyball IQs have increased. They should give us an edge if they continue to stay competitive and commit to getting a little better each day."

Lindsey Hall (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) and Olivia Shirley (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) also return for the Wildcats. Both were role players as freshmen, but their experience could help them see the court as sophomores.

"Lindsey and Olivia have experience to lean on," Chatham said. "I want Lindsey to use her gift as the fastest player on the floor to make herself a contributor. Olivia's block has improved, which is a big deal for us on the right side."

While Mallory Hesterman (Brooklyn, Miss.; HomeLife Academy) wasn't a Wildcat last season, her experience at William Carey will help her jump in easily. She had 17 kills in limited action as a Crusader.

"Mallory has been a great pickup for us," Chatham said. "She has proven herself to be deliberate, easy to coach and quick to make adjustments. She's a thoughtful player, and I look for her to get better and better."

Mackenzie Graham (Bay St. Louis; Bay), Gracie Reynolds (Ellisville; South Jones), Claire Smith (Coldwater; Lewisburg) Kinsley Jean Stegall (Saucier; Our Lady Academy), Lila Willett (Chelsea, Ala.) and Reagan Ziegler (Lacombe, La.; Lakeshore) are all freshmen that will look to make an impact in their first season in the maroon and gold.

"Our freshmen have come in pretty hot," Chatham said. "Those first few matches for our freshmen involve a lot of learning and adjusting. If they can keep their competitiveness through that adjustment period, they are going to be great for us."

Chatham has been encouraged by how her squad is meshing on and off the court.

"We have a lot of genuine kids who are busy identifying what is important and what's not," she said. "They are starting to recognize each other's strengths and weaknesses and deciding how they can help and support each other in those areas. It's our job to keep guiding them to figure out how to help everybody win — and that's what we're gonna do."

Looking ahead to Thursday's season opener inside Shivers Gymnasium at 5 p.m. against Bishop State, Chatham says her team's early goals are to focus on mindset and growth.

"We want them to play free and fearless," she said. "We want them to make decisions and learn from every single one, whether their decision was right or wrong.

"They have come in as a highly capable group of young women. We are doing our best to maximize their potential every single day. Our goal is for them to take ownership of their team and program. Push it, protect it and prioritize it. If they can do that, success will follow." 

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2025 Pearl River volleyball season are available now at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. Advance-purchase tickets are $8, while gameday tickets are $10. Season passes are available now for $63 plus fees.

HOW TO WATCH
The Wildcats will once again livestream all home games for free at PRCCMedia.com. Fans with Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app store. 

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).