Warren Central's volleyball team bounced back from a difficult weekend with a convincing performance on Tuesday. KeKe McKay led the charge by scoring 19 points and serving 10 aces as the Lady Vikes handed Vicksburg High a 3-0 loss, with set scores of 25-8, 25-7, and 25-4. The win marked a strong turnaround after a rough start to the season.
Leighton Willoughby, in her first season as Warren Central’s head coach, expressed pride in her team’s resilience. After struggling through four losses at the Mississippi Volleyball Invitational, the team regrouped and played with confidence and precision. 'I honestly think this weekend helped us get into this game,' Willoughby said. 'Even if the numbers weren’t what we wanted, we did play well. Tonight, I’m very, very proud of them.'
The Vicksburg High team managed a brief lead in the second set but couldn’t sustain it. Warren Central quickly turned the tide with a 14-1 run in the middle of the match, which proved pivotal in the second set. The Lady Vikes also displayed their dominance in the first and third games, including a 13-1 run in the first set and a 10-1 lead in the third.
Willoughby credited the team's success to strong passing, accurate setting, and consistent hitting. The Lady Vikes made well-placed shots throughout the match and capitalized on their serving skills. A total of 18 aces were recorded during the match, with 10 coming from McKay and 5 from Alice Luna. 'They played as one. We almost made a pass, set, and hit on every ball,' Willoughby added.
Vicksburg High’s performance continued a long-standing trend in the crosstown rivalry with Warren Central. The Missy Gators remain winless in their series against Warren Central, which began in 2011. The team is now 0-31 in those matches, having only won five games in total. 'We’ve just got to communicate better,' said Vicksburg coach Linda Johnson. 'We got a little nervous, and I don’t know why that happens every time we go across town. We’ve got a lot of work to do.'
The Missy Gators will now face a quick turnaround, with their next game set for Thursday at Cleveland Central. This match is also the start of the team’s MHSAA Region 2-5A season. While playing a region game so early is unusual, Johnson acknowledged scheduling conflicts led to the arrangement. 'It was a lot of conflicts with those games,' Johnson said. 'We’re trying to make sure we get all the district games in as well as some of the games we usually just play.'
Warren Central, in contrast, will not begin its region season until August 25, its 12th match of the season. Vicksburg’s next region game is set for August 18 at home versus Florence. Despite the unusual scheduling, both teams will need to focus on improving quickly to remain competitive in the upcoming matches.