Walnut reached 20 volleyball victories Monday, sweeping Baldwyn 3–0 at home to remain unbeaten in district play, while Pine Grove’s second meeting with East Union ended with the Urchins’ perfect record intact.
The Wildcats supplied the county’s lone win in four varsity volleyball matches played Sept. 14. Ripley lost at Kossuth, and Falkner fell at New Site, with all four contests decided in three sets.
Walnut’s victory lifted the Wildcats to 20–4 overall and 4–0 in district competition. It also put them back in the win column after Saturday’s three-set loss to Tupelo. Their next opponent, New Site, arrives Tuesday having just beaten another Tippah County team.
Falkner made its closest push in the second set at New Site, finishing two points short, but the Royals completed a 25–11, 25–23, 25–20 sweep. Johna Kate Lindley accounted for 18 of New Site’s 25 kills, and the Royals recorded 17 service aces. The result moved New Site to 13–2 and left Falkner 4–12.
At Pine Grove, East Union established a 16-point margin in the opening set before the Panthers narrowed the gap in each of the next two. The Urchins nevertheless finished the 25–9, 25–17, 25–21 victory to improve to 24–0.
Ann Flemming LeFlore delivered 20 kills and 16 digs for East Union, which totaled 41 kills. Pine Grove, now 13–10, also lost its Aug. 8 meeting with the Urchins, 2–0.
Ripley stayed closest in the opening set at Kossuth, a 25–22 loss. The Aggies widened the margins thereafter, taking the next two sets 25–12 and 25–14 to complete the sweep. Kossuth improved to 20–4; Ripley fell to 10–11.
All four county volleyball teams return to home courts Tuesday: Walnut hosts New Site, Pine Grove faces Jumpertown, Ripley welcomes Alcorn Central and Falkner plays Wheeler.
No Monday varsity final was verified for Blue Mountain. The Cougars’ cross-country calendar lists the Ingomar Invitational in New Albany on Saturday, Sept. 19, as their next meet.
