McAdams qualified for the 1A state volleyball playoffs with a 25-13, 25-14, 25-19 victory over Mississippi School for the Deaf. It was the Lady Bulldogs’ first on-court victory since the program was inaugurated last year.
McAdams will open the playoffs Oct. 12 at Resurrection in Pascagoula.
Sebastopol won the three-team Region 6-1A with a 4-0 record. McAdams and Mississippi School for the Deaf were 1-3, with MSD's victory a forfeit when McAdams was quarantined.
McAdams coach Ashley Brown is not sure why McAdams made the playoffs as the second-place team. “He (McAdams athletic director Kenyon Ross) came up to me Friday and told me we made the playoffs,” she said.
Why is complicated.
According to the Mississippi High School Activities Association handbook, the first tiebreaker is sets won in head-to-head matches. A forfeit counts as 3-0 so that is even at 3-3. Next is how they did against the highest ranked team in the region. Both were swept by Sebastopol, with one of McAdams losses also a forfeit due to the quarantine.
That was followed by point differential in head-to-head matches. McAdams outscored MSD 75-46. Apparently, that is the reason McAdams made the playoffs, although a telephone call to MHSAA did not answer the question.
The victory over MSD came in McAdams’ second match following the quarantine. The Lady Bulldogs were defeated by Winona 25-12, 25-7, 25-9.
“It felt like we were learning everything all over again,” Brown said of the Winona match. “For MSD, they were better prepared.”
Shawnessey Martin led against MSD with 21 service points. Bryia Harmon and Jada Bayne had 13 each.
McAdams played Ethel Tuesday and will close out the regular season Thursday with a home match against Winona for Senior Night. There are three seniors, Bayne, Shatikka Greer and Mary Smith.
“They were a lot of help with the younger girls,” Brown said.
McAdams has a daunting task against Resurrection, a school with a strong tradition in the sport. Resurrection is the winner of 8-1A and the state’s top ranked 1A team.
In preparation, Brown will emphasize returning serve and spiking.
