Walnut celebrates winning a point against Myrtle. The Lady Wildcats won 3-1over the Lady Hawks to advance to the North Half Championship match against East Union.
Defending state champion Lady Wildcats look to end East Union’s perfect season and earn another trip to the Class 2A state finals
By Kedrick O. Storey
WALNUT– Kelley Hopper knows a thing or two about building successful volleyball programs.
Hopper introduced the sport at Kossuth High School in 2016, where she led the program for two seasons. Hopper then returned to Walnut High School, a place she had previously led the softball program, in 2018 to build another program from the ground up.
Nine seasons, two state championships and countless memories later, Hopper has transformed the Lady Wildcats into one of northeast Mississippi’s premier volleyball programs.
And now, in the program’s final season under the Walnut name, Hopper and her Lady Wildcats have another opportunity to add to that legacy.
Standing in their way is an undefeated East Union team looking to make some championship history of its own.
Walnut (31-4) travels to Blue Springs on Monday night to face the Lady Urchins (36-0) in the MHSAA Class 2A North Half Volleyball Championship. The best-of-five match is scheduled for 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to Thursday’s state championship match at Mississippi College in Clinton.
East Union, led by coach Josh Blythe, has been nearly unstoppable this season. But the defending state champion Lady Wildcats have plenty of reasons to believe they can spoil the Lady Urchins’ pursuit of perfection.
For Hopper, however, Monday’s opportunity represents something bigger than wins, losses or championships.
It’s another chance to watch her players compete, grow and enjoy a moment they have worked all season to reach.
Walnut senior outside hitter Taylor Garner.
And those moments have become increasingly meaningful for the veteran coach.
Following Walnut’s third-round playoff victory over Myrtle, last week, Hopper became emotional as she reflected on her team’s accomplishments and the significance of playing the final volleyball match in the Walnut gym.
Next school year, Walnut and Falkner will consolidate to form North Tippah High School, bringing an end to the current Walnut volleyball program.
“To me, it was on multiple levels,” Hopper said of the emotions following the victory. “One being this team itself. This team has been just shock and awe all year. I tell them that over and over. It’s just been shock and awe.”
After losing six starters from last year’s state championship squad, the Lady Wildcats faced the challenge of developing a relatively inexperienced team while maintaining the program’s winning tradition.
The results have exceeded expectations in Hopper’s eyes.
“To be in the third round of the playoffs and to get to go to the North Half again with the team we’ve got was part of it,” Hopper said. “And the hard work and effort that they have all put in day after day. And they don’t have to do that, and they choose to do that.”
For Hopper, watching those efforts pay off has brought a greater appreciation for her role as a coach.
“I guess it’s part of getting older, too. Like perspective. You get a chance to step back and look at it,” she said. “I just keep coming back to grateful. I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to be their coach, to be in this moment.”
The emotions were particularly strong when Walnut closed out its final home match with a senior delivering the winning kill.
“We started this program from the ground up,” Hopper said. “And I’ve got to watch every single play that we’ve ever made. Like, that’s pretty cool.”
A championship tradition comes full circle
Molly Kate and Candence embrace after Walnut’s final win in their home gymnasium.
For senior Molly Kate Rolison, the player responsible for that kill that sent Walnut into this next round, the final home victory carried special meaning.
Rolison’s sister Candence was a seventh grader when Hopper launched the program in 2018. So her older sister was among the original Lady Wildcats who helped establish the foundation for the program’s success.
Now, Molly Kate, who played two years with her older sibling, finds herself helping write its final chapter.
“When my sister played, I watched. And I got to play with her….and playing in that last game at Walnut High School, it just touched my heart a bit knowing that was the last game here and I got to play in it,” Rolison said.
“I’m very grateful to be a part of this program. The way that Coach Kelley has built the program from the ground up, I’m grateful to be one of the girls to be a part of the team.”
Rolison said the team’s success this season has been particularly rewarding considering the uncertainty surrounding a roster that lost several key contributors.
“With this team, we’ve put in so much work all season long. And there were so many people who doubted us,” she said. “And making it this far, I have so much gratitude.”
But the Lady Wildcats aren’t finished making memories.
A familiar opponent, a different Walnut team
Coach Kelley Hopper has been pleased to see the growth of her younger players such as Evelin Aguilar, Jayla Johnson, Breazie Green and Lilly Ladnier
Monday’s championship match will be the second meeting this season between the two Class 2A powers. East Union and Walnut are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in class rank. Both teams are ranked in the top 11 overall in the state of Mississippi.
East Union defeated Walnut 3-1 on Sept. 1 in Blue Springs, but the Lady Wildcats didn’t go down without a fight. Walnut claimed the opening set 25-20 before the Lady Urchins rallied to win three consecutive sets, powered by a 25-kill performance from Ann Fleming.
Since that meeting, both teams have continued building impressive resumes. East Union has won 16 consecutive matches, while Walnut has posted a 17-2 record over that stretch.
Hopper believes her team has made significant strides since its early-season setback.
“We’ve changed tremendously. We truly don’t look like we did then,” she said. “Obviously, we still have some of the same players. But they have put in the work in our weak spots. They’re stronger now. They’ve just continued to push to clean up the errors.”
The growth hasn’t been limited to physical skills or execution.
The Lady Wildcats have also developed the confidence and chemistry necessary to compete against the state’s best teams.
Rolison believes those qualities will be critical Monday.
“I know that East Union every year is our biggest competition, so I know it’s going to take everything that we have, but I know that we have it,” Rolison said. “We just have to play as a team, have good passes. That’s been our biggest thing all year long, clicking together and being a team.”
Junior middle hitter Maddie Wilburn leads Walnut with 51 blocks.
The senior welcomes the opportunity to face an opponent that has been just as determined to reach the state championship.
“They’re a fun team to play. Just knowing there’s a team out there that’s just like us, head to head. And they want to beat us as much as we want to beat them,” Rolison said. “I’m very excited. We’ve worked all season long to get here, and I know it’s going to be a good game.”
One play, one moment at a time
Hopper expects a charged atmosphere inside East Union’s gym, where the Lady Urchins will attempt to extend their unbeaten season in front of their home crowd.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to compete, but I’m also excited to see just how the environment will be,” Hopper said. “The environment of North Half is fun. And East Union’s gym is so tight, it’s going to be so fun.”
While the championship implications are impossible to ignore, Hopper doesn’t want her players consumed by the enormity of the occasion.
Instead, she wants them focused on the next serve, the next pass and the next opportunity to make a play.
“We just worry about one play at a time. We talk about one good thing at a time,” Hopper said. “If you can do one thing, that’s going to lead to another good thing.”
That approach has become central to Walnut’s preparation.
“Yes, it’s a big moment. Yes, we understand that if we don’t win that it’s over. And if we do win, we move on. Like, we get that,” Hopper said. “But it’s still just a moment. Just a moment of time, that if we’re just focused on that, we’re gonna miss the great stuff.”
The message to her players is simple: Stay composed, embrace the challenge and play volleyball.
“Just managing your emotions. And it’s hard when it’s a high-stress moment. But you have to learn how to mentally be tough enough to stay level,” Hopper said.
“Either you’re mentally tough enough to stay focused in this moment or you’re not. And that’s bottom line.”
