VOLLEYBALL
If signs were needed about the forward growth of the volleyball program at Jones County High School, the news was loudly exclaimed last Tuesday at the JCHS gymnasium as the Volley Hounds got their first win in program history against Northside, a win that came on the back end of a tri-match sweep against Piedmont Academy.
“It’s probably our first win over what you might call a quality opponent,” Lady Greyhounds head coach Lonnie Wheeler said. “We’ve had competitive matches against teams like Northside last year but could not put it away. This is huge for them.”
Sure, the Lady Hounds have previously posted wins against other teams, but to do so against a team from a largest classification and one that has mastered them multiple times marks a tremendous milestone for JCHS.
The win against the Eagles was not easy as Jones County had to scratch and claw, taking the first game 25-17 before winning 26-24 for the 2-0 match sweep.
“One of our keys has been learning how to win,” Wheeler said. “There’s a hard-nosed mentality that we didn’t have last year, we’re really starting to develop that.”
In the first win against the Eagles, the Lady Hounds used a 6-1 lead to build an early cushion. They’d need it as Northside cut the lead to two points multiple times before Jones County scored the match’s final four points with Nya Warren serving.
It set the table for the second game of the match, where a dramatic span in the late going saw JCHS battle hard in a back-andforth match, making key plays to do just enough to prevent Northside from pulling away further.
With Warren and Pieterick among the final Lady Hounds serving, Jones County closed out the win, getting a block at the net from Madison Maxwell and Pressley Vinson.
“I told lots of people before the season, I’m not sure how well we’d do, but we’d look good getting off the bus because of how tall we are,” Wheeler said. “It’s like Whitey Herzog said, ‘height does not slump.’ We’re glad that we have it.”
The win was set up by last Tuesday’s other JCHS win with 25-19 and 25-17 victories against Piedmont Academy, giving them a 3-2 start to the season. The Lady Hounds, who played this past Tuesday at Northside, host Lamar County and Jackson this Thursday, go to Mary Persons Aug. 30 and open region play at home on Sept. 6 against Eagles Landing and Warner Robins.
