POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The first-ever volleyball matchup between Pearl River and rival Jones College lived up to the hype Monday night inside a raucous Shivers Gymnasium. The teams duked it out for all five sets, with the Bobcats winning 3-2 (17-25, 25-21, 25-17, 29-31, 11-15).

"The first ever volleyball 'Cat Fight' was certainly a fast and fun match," head coach Haley Chatham said. "I really think we leveled up as a team. We passed so well, and because of that, we ran an efficient offense against a good Jones team. We also got down in the trenches and played some gritty defense. We checked a lot of boxes that usually put you in the win column.

"We are having trouble holding onto leads, whether that be set leads or point leads. As a team, we have been brainstorming where the disconnect is on staying ahead. That's a crucial concept to master in this league and one that differs greatly from club and high school. We are going to give it all we have to get that part figured out. It could make all the difference for us."

Despite taking the lead in the middle portion of the opening set, things didn't go Pearl River's (6-16 overall; 1-2 MACCC) way against Jones College (12-3; 2-1). The Wildcats kept things within reach for most of the set, but the Bobcats pulled away late to win it 25-17.

There was a shift in the energy starting with the second set both on the court with the players and in the stands with the Wildcat faithful. After falling behind midway through the set 11-9, the Wildcats fought back to tie things up at 14-14 and forced a timeout with another point, 15-14.

Jones College retook the lead briefly because Pearl River roared back with a number of contributors. Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) sent a thunderous kill off a block attempt and down onto the court. One play later, she used a softer approach to tap a ball over and down, cutting the deficit to one point at 19-18. Annalaura Williford (Bay St. Louis; Our Lady Academy) followed by sending a knuckleball across the court for an ace. Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central) kept the rally going by turning away a Bobcat kill attempt with a stout solo block. Back-to-back mistakes by the Bobcats followed, and PRCC led 22-19.

The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas and closed out the set, 25-21, with a crushed kill off the swing of Avery Wheat (Gonzalez, La.; East Ascension)

With the crowd heavily on its side and the energy at an all-time high, Pearl River dominated the third set. Pearl River was clinging to a 7-6 when it started to pull away. Jordyn Wilks (Independence, La.; Hammond Magnet) showed off her defensive abilities soon after, diving forward for a dig to keep the play alive. A long rally followed, and Oliva Shirley (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) eventually picked up a point with a kill, 8-6.

The Wildcats kept putting it on the Bobcats as the match moved forward, growing its lead to as much as 11 points at 22-11. Jones College tried its best to get back into the set, but Pearl River closed it out 25-17. 

Set four was the set of the year, as the two teams combined for 60 points. The Wildcats were in control throughout the majority of the action. PRCC made it 17-15 just above the midway point as Hoffmayer tucked a kill down the right side of the court for a point. A bit later, Madison Butler (Biloxi; D'Iberville) had a defensive highlight, diving and getting a fingertip under a ball to keep it alive. The rally ended when JC sent a ball out of bounds 20-17.

The Bobcats tied things up at 22-22, and that's when the back-and-forth began. Seven ties took place throughout the rest of the set. When JC pulled ahead the first time, Wheat sent a kill off a Bobcat defender, through the rafters and off the back wall to even it right back up.

Jones went up 25-24 moments later before Mears denied an attack attempt to pick up a big point, 25-25. PRCC took one final lead in the set at 29-28, but Jones College stormed back to win the set, 31-29.

The Wildcats controlled set five early, moving in front 5-3 after a Wheat kill and back-to-back out-of-bounds hits by the Bobcats. Jones snatched a 7-6 lead midway through, and Wheat again tied things when her kill attempt couldn't be handled and ended up in the Bobcats bench.

PRCC kept fighting as the set moved along, but the Bobcats pulled out a 15-11 victory.

Chatham talked about Wheat's play after the match.

"Avery has gotten so much more comfortable with the speed of the game in the last couple of weeks," she said. "In doing that, she has been able to really contribute her offensive power and has been able to score a lot of points."

NEXT UP
Pearl River heads to Booneville Wednesday for a 5 p.m. match against Northeast. The match will be livestreamed at NEMCCTV.com.

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