SENATOBIA, Miss. — The Pearl River volleyball team made a statement Wednesday night, powering past MACCC rival Northwest in straight sets 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23) to snap the Rangers' 13-match winning streak and hand them their first MACCC loss of the year.
With the victory, Pearl River moves into a three-way tie with Northwest and Jones College at the top of the standings.
"Our team chose to control chaos. We have known they could do that, and tonight they proved it to themselves," head coach Haley Chatham said. "They played without fear, and I am so in awe of their brave spirit. Our leaders are going above and beyond in their jobs."
The opening set of the night set the tone for what was to come between Pearl River (13-6 overall; 7-1 MACCC) and Northwest (16-3; 7-1). The teams traded blows throughout, with the Rangers grabbing a 21-18 edge late in the frame.
That's when the Wildcats dug deep. Mallory Hesterman (Brooklyn; HomeLife Academy) blasted a kill to trim the deficit to two, 21-19. Moments later, Jordyn Wilks (Hammond, La.; Hammond Magnet) floated in an ace to even things at 22-22. PRCC then closed on a 3-1 burst, capped by one of Avery Wheat's (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension) many thunderous swings, to steal the set 25-23.
The second set followed a familiar script. Northwest again looked in control with a 20-17 advantage, but PRCC refused to back down. The Wildcats rattled off three straight points to tie it, then stormed through five more in a row. The surge featured a powerful swing from reigning MACCC Offensive Player of the Week Lila Willett (Chelsea, Ala.), a pinpoint ace from Skyla Rann (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension), and a costly Ranger error to finish the set, 25-20.
Pearl River came out firing in the third, roaring to a 12-6 lead. Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central), typically a middle blocker, thrived from the opposite hitter spot and crushed PRCC's 13th point.
"Morgan stayed patient in her block reads, then was quick to go aggressive in the attack," Chatham said. "She is such a steady force for us on the court and outside the gym. She is really something special."
Willett's 10th kill of the night pushed the lead to 16-12, and back-to-back kills from Hesterman and Mears off Ranger blocks stretched it to 18-13. Northwest, however, clawed back to even things at 20-20.
With the sweep on the line, Claire Smith (Coldwater; Lewisburg) delivered in the clutch. The setter made a dazzling play to rescue a ball destined for the net, perfectly setting up a Reagan Ziegler (Lacombe, La.; Lakeshore) kill. Smith then ripped an ace and assisted on another Wheat hammer to make it 24-20. Northwest cut it to 24-23, but another costly error sealed it, giving Pearl River a 25-23 win and a straight-set sweep.
"Claire is a winner. I've never seen anything else from her from high school to today," Chatham said. "She prepares like a winner, and that allows her to play with confidence. She is ultra competitive, and when she needs to, she will put the whole team on her back and get us through some tough spots. We are blessed to have her as our 'quarterback.'"
NEXT UP
Pearl River returns to Shivers Gymnasium Monday for a 5 p.m. match against Northwest.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2025 Pearl River volleyball season are available now at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. Advance-purchase tickets are $8, while gameday tickets are $10.
TUNE IN
All home Pearl River Volleyball games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
