SENATOBIA - An all-time classic played out in front of the home crowd at Howard Coliseum on Monday afternoon, as Northwest captured its third straight match with a wild 3-2 win against Pearl River.

All five sets were extremely close, with Northwest earning the first two by 25-23 margins. The Lady Wildcats came back in the third set to stay alive, scoring a 25-20 decision, in what would wind up being the the least closest set on paper.

Northwest tried to end the match in four, but Pearl River pressed on, earning the 25-21 decision in the fourth set to tie up the match. Both teams went back and forth in the final set, with the Lady Rangers edging Pearl River, 15-13.

Jacia Hayes and Kailey Gooch led Northwest with a combined 25 kills, including 14 from Hayes. The sophomore from Pearl also tallied five blocks, tying Gooch and Anna Lott for the same team-high total. 

Additionally, Lott added nine kills of her own, while Caroline Howard accounted for a team-high 18 digs, followed by 17 from Cristen Cleveland. 

With the win, Northwest jumped to 18-15 on the season, while Pearl River dropped to 11-12 with the loss. The Lady Rangers have also guaranteed at least a split in the regular season series between Itawamba, Northeast and Pearl River.

Next up for Northwest is a Tuesday road match at MUW JV. Action begins at 4 P.M. from Columbus. Read Full Article