SENATOBIA, Miss. — The Pearl River volleyball team's impressive 2022 campaign came to an end Saturday in the Region 23 Championship game. The Wildcats battled until the very end but came up short, falling 3-0 (22-25, 16-25, 22-25).
"There are always a lot of unknowns when you bring in so many freshman," head coach Haley Chatham said. "You can watch them play in high school and know what kind of players they are, but you never know how they will mesh together as a team until they get here and start playing games. I was very pleased with how our team competed this year and am looking forward to what we will do next year with a year of experience under our belt."
Chatham also talked about the legacy that her sophomores are leaving behind.
"I am extremely proud of our sophomores and what they have accomplished here," she said. "I will forever be grateful for the work they put in and the leadership they displayed."
SET ONE
Pearl River (23-13 overall) got on the board first, going on a 3-0 run that included an Anna Claire Sheffield (Canton; Jackson Academy) block.
Northwest (15-13) tied the score 4-4 moments later, but Natalie Bartholomew (Brandon) gave Pearl River a 6-4 lead shortly after with back-to-back kills.
The Wildcats held a slim 10-7 a few points later after kills by Julianah Overstreet (Vancleave) and Sammie Smith (Biloxi; D'Iberville).
The Rangers were not deterred and began to chip away at the deficit and eventually grabbed a 14-13 lead. They never looked back from there, winning the set 25-22.
SET TWO
Northwest opened set two on a 3-0 run but Smith cut it short with a kill to make the deficit 3-1.
The Rangers added to the score shortly after that, increasing the lead to 7-3. Jasmine Burdine (Biloxi) ended the Ranger run with a kill.
A quick scoring exchange ensued with Northwest holding on to the lead 13-10. The Rangers used the small amount of momentum they had collected to extend the lead 18-11. The Wildcats were unable to rally, falling 25-16 in the set.
SET THREE
Set three began with a scoring exchange between the two teams before Northwest stretched out a 6-3 lead.
The Wildcats responded with a four-point run to take a 7-6 advantage. The run ended with a Bartholomew kill.
Moments later, Smith recaptured the lead for the Wildcats 9-8 with a booming kill. The teams again began to exchange blows with neither able to gain control of the match.
With the score tied 20-20, the Rangers took all the momentum and rode it to a 25-22 victory.
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