Choctaw County advanced to the second round of the MHSAA Class I volleyball playoffs with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-20 victory over Senatobia. It might have been straight sets, but it was never easy.
The Lady Chargers had to rally to win the second set and withstood late rallies by Senatobia in the first and third sets.
“I'm so proud of them” Choctaw County coach Miranda Worrell said of her players. “The first set went pretty well for us. The second set not as well, but they dug out of it.”
Choctaw County trailed 20-16, then finished the second set by outscoring Senatobia 9-3. With the scored tied at 23, a winner by LaGenesis Johnson put Choctaw County up by a point and Addie Stacy finished the set with a winner.
“I was thinking I hope I get that thing in,” Stacy said.
Worrell called a time out late in the set and asked her players “How much do you want it? How much are you willing to fight for it.”
Choctaw County fell behind 2-0 in the first set, they ran off five straight points, four with Macy Claire Cagle serving, for a lead the Lady Chargers never relinquished.
With Choctaw County leading 24-16, Senatobia won six straight points before a winner by Cagle ended the set.
Worrell also took a time out during the Senatobia rally. “We had to finish. We had to focus on the little things.”
The third set followed a similar script to the first set. Choctaw County led 23-14 before Senatobia went on a 7-1 run. The set and match ended with a Senatobia serving error.
Stacy had seven kills in the match, Johnson and Veronica Molina six each. Cagle had 18 digs and Caden Miles 22 assists
Choctaw County won Region 4 with a 12-0 record. Senatobia was runnerup in Region 3 with a 6-2 record.
Choctaw County played Belmont in the second round Tuesday at Belmont. Belmont advanced with a 25-21, 25-13, 25-10 win over Walnut behind 14 kills and five aces by 5-11 senior Maggie Ledbetter.
The winner will play either seven-time defending champion Our Lady Academy or St. Joseph of Madison Thursday at Mississippi State. The championship match will be Saturday at MSU.
OLA is the state's top ranked Class I team for 1A, 2A and 3A schools.
The Lady Chargers closed out the regular season by edging Grace Christian 23-25, 25-20. 20-25, 25-15, 16-14. Stacy had seven kills, Leah Hammons 17 digs and four aces. Johnson three blocks and Miles 21 assists.
GSC volleyball comes to close
Grace Christian was edged by Choctaw County 23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-15, 16-14 in the Lady Eagles final volleyball match of the season. For Grace Christian, it was a significant improvement over a Sept. 5 match between the two teams, won by Choctaw County in straight sets.
“We played really well, especially on the back row. They didn't make many mistakes,” Grace Christian coach Jamey Willers said.
Anna Gillis had 13 service points and six aces for the Lady Eagles. Annabelle Crowder had 16 digs and 15 service receptions, Jasmine Kelly 12 kills and Maggie Phillips nine kills.
“I think this was one of our best seasons,” Willers said. “Our kills improve this year and we had a lot of good serves.”
Four seniors – Crowder, Phillips, Kiara Nash and Caroline Robbins – have concluded their Grace Christian careers.
