BREWTON, Ala. — The Pearl River volleyball team closed out non-conference play Saturday afternoon in impressive fashion, winning a pair of matches to notch the program's 25th victory of the year. The Wildcats swept Andrew College 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-20) and then outlasted Coastal Alabama North 3-2 (28-30, 25-16, 17-25, 25-22, 15-8) in a five-set thriller.

"We showed grit and bounced back today, and that's great timing heading into the final week of conference play and the postseason," head coach Haley Chatham said. "Credit to a solid Coastal Alabama North team — they gave us just about all we could handle."

Chatham praised the play of sophomore Olivia Shirley (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove), who moved into the middle blocker position just before the start of the day due to an injury.

"Olivia stepped up in a big way," Chatham said. "We were down a middle, and she went in and held it down for two straight matches. It's not an easy position to play — especially when you haven't been there all season. She went in with no fear and got the job done."

Pearl River (25-10 overall) took care of business in its opening match of the day against Andrew College (15-14). The Wildcats made quick work of the Fighting Tigers in the first two sets, winning 25-14 and 25-15. The third set presented more of a challenge, but PRCC held firm to close things out 25-20 and complete the sweep.

In the second match of the day, the Wildcats faced a strong Coastal Alabama North (19-8) team sitting third in the ACCC South Division. The opening set foreshadowed what was to come as the teams traded points until the Coyotes earned a 30-28 win. PRCC responded quickly in set two with a dominant 25-16 victory. CAN battled back to take set three 25-17, putting the Wildcats on their heels, but Pearl River answered again with a 25-22 win to force a decisive fifth. The Wildcats came out strong in the final frame, scoring the first five points to set the tone and pulling away for a 15-8 victory.

NEXT UP
The Wildcats head to Southwest on Monday for a 6 p.m. showdown with the Bears. The match will be livestreamed at Go.SMCCBears.TV.

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