POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River volleyball team showed exactly what it's made of Monday night inside Shivers Gymnasium. After falling behind by two sets against visiting Itawamba, the Wildcats clawed all the way back to win three straight sets and complete a stunning 3-2 (20-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 16-14) comeback in front of a rowdy home crowd.
"We played a lot of tight sets and matches all weekend in Gulf Shores," head coach Haley Chatham said. "Our girls stayed calm and fought through those tough matches. We knew they could fight back tonight too, but they had to remember it. They got a little antsy, but they found their calmness and that was the difference that helped us pull away."
The Wildcats (19-7 overall; 9-2 MACCC) stumbled out of the gate in the opening set. The Indians (13-11; 5-6) quickly built an eight-point cushion late in the frame, and although Lila Willett (Chelsea, Ala.) provided several key kills to trim the deficit, PRCC ultimately dropped the set 25-20.
The second set appeared to be a turning point early as Pearl River raced to an 11-4 advantage thanks to strong swings from Avery Wheat (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension), Willett, and Claire Smith (Coldwater; Lewisburg). ICC responded, however, and slowly erased the margin to tie the score at 19-19. Willett put the Wildcats back in front momentarily, but the Indians finished with a three-point burst to take the set 25-22 and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
The third set seemed to be following the same script as PRCC again fell behind 11-4. This time the Wildcats found their spark, clawing back behind Willett's crosscourt kill, a powerful swing from Reagan Ziegler (Lacombe, La.; Lakeshore) that deflected off the block and out, and a perfectly placed ace from Jordyn Wilks (Independence, La.; Hammond Magnet) that pulled PRCC within two at 13-11. Even so, ICC continued to hold the advantage down the stretch and led 23-20. With their backs against the wall, Pearl River came alive, ripping off five straight points capped by a Willett hammer to take the set 25-23 and extend the match.
The Wildcats carried that momentum into the fourth. After falling behind briefly at 5-4, they never trailed again. Ziegler smashed home a kill to widen the gap, and moments later Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central) turned an off-balance swing into a laser across the floor that fired up the crowd. PRCC maintained control down the stretch, and with the score 21-18, Wheat and Ziegler delivered consecutive kills before teaming up for a massive block that ricocheted straight down to the floor for set point. The Wildcats finished it off 25-21 to force a deciding fifth.
The finale was a back-and-forth battle from the start, with neither team able to break away. The sides traded points to an 8-8 tie before Wheat's kill, an ICC miscue, and back-to-back aces from Mears gave PRCC breathing room at 12-8. Just when it looked like the Wildcats had all the momentum, the Indians charged back to tie things at 14-14. Needing one last push, Wheat came through with a go-ahead kill, and Willett capped the night by blasting home a Smith set for the 16-14 win, completing a dramatic comeback.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats head to East Central Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. opening serve. The match will be livestreamed at ECCCLive.com.
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