Lady Cards, Lady Rebels fall in round two

The postseason came to an end for both Potts Camp and Hickory Flat Tuesday, Oct. 6, as the Lady Cardinals and Lady Rebels were eliminated from the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 1A Volleyball Tournament.

Potts Camp saw its season conclude with a 3-0 loss to Ingomar. The Lady Falcons claimed the match in straight sets, 25-22, 25-19, and 25-18.

Despite the loss, Potts Camp received strong performances from several players. Alyssa Clifton paced the Lady Cardinals with an allaround effort, recording 15 kills, seven assists, three aces, one block and four digs. Zoe Clark contributed across the board as well, finishing with seven kills, 15 assists and seven digs. Defensively, Kaylee Howell anchored the back row with 15 digs.

The Lady Cardinals finished the season with a 20-8 record.

Reflecting on her career, Clark said, “I have grown to love this sport and enjoyed playing it through all the ups and downs.”

The postseason also marked the conclusion of an outstanding career for Clifton, who was selected as the MHSAA Miss 1A Volleyball recipient following the team’s playoff run. Clifton led Class 1A this season in hitting percentage, total kills and kills per set, earning her one of the state’s top honors.

Meanwhile, Hickory Flat opened its playoff matchup against Tupelo Christian Prep (TCPS) with a hard-fought first-set victory before dropping the next three sets in a 3-1 defeat.

The Lady Rebels edged TCPS 25-23 in the opening set, but TCPS responded by winning the next three sets 25-20, 25-22, and 25-17 to claim the match and advance to the next round. Abby Rowland led Hickory Flat offensively with 17 kills and added three blocks, four digs and one ace.

The Lady Rebels concluded the season with an 18-14 record, capping another competitive year for the program.