Tylertown’s volleyball team gave McComb problems in the first and third sets, but the Lady Tigers overcame the challenges to take three out of four sets for the win at home in a non-district matchup Monday night.
Tylertown (2-5) won the first set 25-23, but McComb (13-3, 7-2) won the final three 25-14, 30-28 and 25-14.
“We’ve just got to stay focused,” Lady Tigers head coach Charlton Grey said. “Our motto is focus. We’ve got to overcome circumstances and understand success. As a family, that’s what we have to do and, I just told them, ‘You all have to think. We have to play,’ so they went ahead and played and bared down and did what they had to do.”
McComb led in the first set 21-16, but Tylertown scored eight unanswered points on seven Amya Brister serves to take a 24-21 lead.
The Lady Tigers scored two straight points to cut the Lady Chiefs lead to 24-23, which included a serve from McComb’s Kimora Wells that was not returned. Wells’ next serve went out of bounds to give Tylertown the first set.
“The girls tried setting up instead of just hitting the ball and see who’s going to screw up first,” Tylertown head coach Traci McDowell said about her team in the first and third sets.
The Lady Tigers held a 14-11 lead in the second set but closed on an 11-3 run to secure the 25-14 victory.
McComb scored six unanswered points to take a 20-11 lead including three straight McKenzie Moses serves finished off with Wells spikes.
The third set went back and forth, as both teams had opportunities to win.
The Lady Chiefs took a 25-24 lead on a Brister serve and a 27-26 lead on a Shell Hargrove serve. However, McComb scored two straight points to secure the victory on a Kimbriona East return and Franeisha Harris serve.
“We’re not as consistent as I would like, but we’re getting better,” Grey said. “Still, we are young.”
Grey said the Lady Tigers suffer from a lack of confidence and that could be fixed with more consistency.
He noted another example of inconsistency was when McComb won a district matchup at home against Columbia after taking the first two sets, losing the next two and winning the rubber match.
In the final set where McComb won 25-14, the Lady Tigers scored five straight points on four East serves to take a 16-9 lead.
Tylertown made a game of it scoring four straight points on three Brister serves to cut McComb’s lead to 17-14. Kayla Gray finished one of Brister’s serves with a spike for Tylertown to cut McComb’s lead to 17-13.
Tylertown did not get any closer.
“They’ve just got to call the ball and don’t let it hit the ground,” McDowell said. “On their right, they’re supposed to get it. The (Lady Chiefs) serves are really good. The ceiling is a little misleading, so it’s something to get used to.”
The ceiling in McComb’s gym is dark and several balls hit the ceiling.
McDowell added her team has to get used to all gyms that the Lady Chiefs are not used to playing in. She also said her athletes did not adjust after three carrying calls.
McComb is at Mendenhall for the final regular season district game tonight with the junior varsity starting at 5 and the varsity following at 6. The Lady Tigers are in second place in the district.
Tylertown hosts West Marion at 5 tonight.
McComb and Tylertown will play each other again at Tylertown Oct. 11 with the JV starting at 5 p.m. and the varsity following at 6.
