When Pearl River and East Central get together, five sets have seemed inevitable. The Wildcats and Warriors went the distance for a second time Monday night, with PRCC clawing out a 3-2 (18-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-23, 15-11).
"I felt like the sets that were won by East Central were won by two people — their defensive specialist and their libero. They played gutty defense and we went through six different players on the back row tonight," head coach Haley Chatham said. "We were letting their defense outdo us. In the fourth and fifth sets, we made sure our girls knew that they were just playing with more guts than us. We have the offense that swings hard and scores points. We just have to play the defense to match it."
Pearl River (10-6 overall; 4-1 MACCC) got off to a good start in the opening set, taking the first two points behind a Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central) kill off the hands of a Warrior defender. The teams tied four more times in the early going, fueled by the forceful swing of Lila Willett (Chelsea, Ala.), who strung together three consecutive kills. The final tie came at 11-11 before East Central (5-4; 3-3) used a mid-set surge to pull away, taking the frame 25-18.
The Wildcats punched back in the second. Trailing early, PRCC surged ahead midway through the set. A blistering kill from Reagan Ziegler (Lacombe, La.; Lakeshore) made it 9-7, and Willett went back to work with a pair of kills to stretch the lead to 18-10. A Mears kill sealed the set, 25-15, evening the match.
The third mirrored the first. PRCC grabbed an early advantage but couldn't sustain it. Mallory Hesterman (Brooklyn; HomeLife Academy) cut the deficit to one at 11-10, and Avery Wheat (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension) ripped back-to-back cross-court kills to keep the Wildcats within striking distance. The Warriors, however, held firm and secured the set 25-20.
Pearl River responded in another gritty fourth. A Ziegler kill and a Mears ace helped push PRCC to a 7-5 lead, and a thunderous Willett swing sparked a 21-16 cushion. East Central clawed back to tie it at 23, but the Wildcats closed it out 25-23 to force the deciding frame.
The finale was fittingly tight. After trading points to 5-5, PRCC created separation behind a Warrior miscue and a Ziegler tip, 7-5. East Central briefly moved in front 8-7, but Ziegler answered with another kill before teaming with Wheat for a huge block. Wheat continued to pile on late before Claire Smith (Coldwater; Lewisburg) delivered the dagger, a cross-court kill that clinched the 15-11 set — and the match.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats head to Itawamba Wednesday for a 5 p.m. match against the Indians. The match will be livestreamed at LetsGoICCTV.com.
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