BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Locked in a 2-2 tie heading into set five, the Pearl River volleyball team needed someone to step up. Thankfully for the Wildcats, Madison Butler (Biloxi; D'Iberville) was up to the task.
The sophomore setter took the ball for the opening serve and led Pearl River to an incredible 14 consecutive points to help secure the set and match, 3-2 (18-25, 26-24, 25-23, 20-25, 15-4).
"Madison Butler was a woman on fire behind the service line for 14 straight points," head coach Haley Chatham said. "She literally took the game and put it in her own hands.
"We had to make a lot of defensive adjustments tonight, and we were late making them in each set, but we did. An excellent server mixed with a little luck on our side helped us win the fifth."
The opening set of the day against Coastal Alabama - South (8-14 overall) didn't go Pearl River's (13-23) way. CAS ripped off the first eight points from the opening serve to jump on the Wildcats. Pearl River gave its best effort to get back into the match, but the Coyotes put it away, 25-18.
PRCC responded well in the second set, taking nine of the first 13 points, highlighted by an Annalaura Williford (Bay St. Louis; Our Lady Academy) kill. On the play, her first attack attempt was blocked but she knocked the return back over and down, 9-4.
Coastal Alabama - South roared back to tie things up at 13-13 and again at 14-14. Pearl River briefly moved back in front, but the Coyotes tied things three more times, with the last coming at 24-24. PRCC tacked on two more points, ending the set with a Morgan Mears (Hurley; East Central) block, 26-24.
The Wildcats went ahead by a set in the third set of the night. Pearl River was all over the Coyotes early, cruising to a 13-6 advantage after 19 points. PRCC's lead sat at 18-14 soon after when Madi King (Leakesville; Greene County) denied an attack attempt.
Again, CAS fought back to tie up the match 19-19. Pearl River didn't let the momentum swing change anything as the Wildcats went on to end the set with another Mears block, 25-23.
The Coyotes did not let the fourth set of the night be their final one of the year as they recovered from an early deficit to go on to take down the Wildcats 25-20 and square the match up at two sets apiece.
The fifth set featured one of the most impressive feats the Wildcats have accomplished all season long as Butler took hold of the ball and served Pearl River all the way to 14 consecutive points. The impressive run featured three Williford kills, two Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) kills and a Butler ace to bring PRCC to a 14-0 lead.
Coastal Alabama - South rattled off four straight points of its own, but the Wildcats put the set to rest, 15-4.
NEXT UP
Pearl River gets the postseason underway on Friday, traveling to Senatobia to compete in the Region 23 Tournament. The Wildcats matchup with Northeast at noon. The match will be livestreamed at NWCCRangers.com/watch.
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