HANCEVILLE, Ala. — The Pearl River volleyball team came up short on the opening day of the Alabama/Mississippi Crossover Tournament in Hanceville, Ala. on Friday. The Wildcats opened the tournament, falling to Lurleen B Wallace 3-0 (16-25, 17-25, 19-25). PRCC battled in the nightcap against Lawson State, dropping a hard-fought match 3-0 (19-25, 20-25, 21-25).

LURLEEN B. WALLACE 3, PEARL RIVER 0
Pearl River (3-7) was competitive throughout the first match against Lurleen B. Wallace (4-1 overall) but could not get over the hump against the Saints. The Wildcats dropped the first set 25-16.

Pearl River battled throughout the second set against the Saints, getting timely plays from Allie Varner (Madison; Germantown) and Annalaura Williford (Bay St. Louis; Our Lady Academy) before dropping set two, 17-25.

The Wildcats jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead in the third set but could not capitalize on the momentum and fell to the Saints 25-20.

LAWSON STATE 3, PEARL RIVER 0
The Wildcats came out strong in the first set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead, but Lawson (1-3) fought back and took a 7-6 lead to force a timeout. The Cougars were able to ride the momentum to a 25-19 first-set win.

Pearl River continued to fight through the second set. The River fell behind early, 7-6, in set two, but PRCC was able to take the lead following a three-point run. Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central) helped lead the charge with a strong spike to knot the score at seven a piece and completed a Wildcat three-point run with a service ace. Both teams traded the lead through the middle of the second set before Lawson took the second set, aided by a seven-point run, 25-20.

Pearl River opened set three with a 7-4 lead behind strong serving from Sopie Warren (Brandon) and Skyla Rann (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension). A Madi King (Leakesville, Miss; Greene County) spike and strong defense extended the Wildcat lead to 9-5. Both teams battled through the set as the multiple lead changes took place throughout the remainder of the set. The Cougars were able to capitalize on a five-point run to take set three and the match, 25-21.

NEXT UP
On Saturday, the Wildcats will participate in day two of the Alabama/Mississippi Crossover tournament. They will face Bevill State at 10 a.m. and Wallace State at 2 p.m.  

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