Women's Volleyball | 8/28/2025 9:39:00 PM
The Clinton High School Volleyball team flipped a switch against the Starkville Lady Jackets on Thursday night at Arrow Gym.
Down two sets to one set, Clinton Head Volleyball Coach Natalie DuVall saw her Lady Arrows make a shift in their mindset down 20-18 to Starkville in the fourth set.
It was time to flip the night's script.
The mental audible helped the Lady Arrows not only send the game to a fifth set, but it elevated them to a 3-2 victory 25-16, 20-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-13, in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Region 2-7A game. The success has brought the Lady Arrows to an even record in divisional play after four matches.
"I'm extremely proud of the girls because you could see something shift in their mindset tonight," DuVall said. "They refused to give up. They did not want to lose this game. There were so many players that threw their bodies on the ground, sacrificing it for the win."
Not only did the Lady Arrows benefit from the mental flip, DuVall credited a loud student section that motivated her team inside the gym.
"I want to shout out our student section and fans that came tonight," DuVall said. "That had an impact on the game, as well."
With a two-point deficit and an impending third straight set loss, a Lady Arrow side out placed senior Madison Harris on the service. As she did against Murrah the previous game, Harris provided a calm demeanor, rallying four consecutive points, and Clinton outpaced Starkville to claim the fourth set.
In the fifth, Clinton sprinted to an 8-3 advantage, but the visiting Lady Jackets would not go away. Starkville scored eight unanswered points and held a 12-9 advantage. However, Harris served up a 13-12 advantage before Starkville tied it up at 13 points.
Clinton grabbed a 14-13 advantage on a Lady Jacket serving error, and Aubrey Joiner's serve provided the winning touch on an electric comeback.
"I am so proud of the way that we pushed through the adversity tonight," Junior volleyball player Zaley Madkin said. "I knew we were capable of this effort, and I am so proud of how every single one of us came together on the court tonight."
Clinton fell behind 7-4 in the opening set but used an early-set 10-4 run to get ahead of the Lady Jackets 14-11. Once in the driver's seat, the Lady Arrows pulled away for good and grabbed the first set, 25-16.
Starkville won the next two sets, but the visitors were unable to close out the game, dropping the fourth and fifth sets.
Up next
The Lady Arrows carry back-to-back Region 2-7A wins into their final two regional home games against Madison Central and Oxford on Tuesday and Thursday, September 2 and 4, respectively.
Both nights consist of a 5 p.m. junior-varsity game and the varsity match follows immediately after the JV contest.
