The Walnut volleyball team’s run at a second straight state championship came to an end Monday night in Ellistown, where unbeaten East Union swept the Wildcats 3-0 in the Class 2A North State final. The set scores were 25-17, 25-13 and 25-21, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
Walnut, the reigning 2A state champion, finishes the season at 31-5. The Wildcats were playing in their fourth straight North State final and came into the match on a 12-match winning streak.
How the Walnut Volleyball Match Unfolded
The first set stayed close until East Union put together a 14-5 run to take an 18-13 lead, and the Urchins held on from there. The second set followed a similar pattern, with East Union pulling away late behind a string of kills.
Walnut made its strongest push in the third set. After falling behind 15-9, the Wildcats cut the gap to 17-14, but East Union closed out the set and the match.
Wildcat Leaders
Molly-Kate Rolison led Walnut with 12 kills.
Vivian Brown handed out 22 assists.
For East Union, Ann Fleming LeFlore had 20 kills, Lyla Brock added 19 assists and libero Reagan Johnson finished with 24 digs.
East Union coach Josh Blythe told the Daily Journal that Walnut and coach Kelley Hopper have been the standard his program has been chasing in 2A. He credited Walnut’s setting and Rolison’s play for making the match a tough one, and said his team “found some holes” before praising its defense.
A Rematch From September
Monday’s match was the second meeting of the season between the two teams. East Union also beat Walnut 3-1 on Sept. 1. The Urchins improved to 37-0 and advanced to the first state championship game in their program’s history.
East Union will face the winner of Clarkdale and Enterprise-Clarke for the Class 2A title at noon Thursday in Clinton.
What’s Next for Walnut
Even with Monday’s loss, the Wildcats put together another strong season under Hopper. They reached the North State final for the fourth year in a row and finished with more than 30 wins while defending a state title.
Tippah News will continue to follow Walnut and the rest of Tippah County’s teams as the fall sports season goes on.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
