STARKVILLE – Caledonia spoiled the 2025 home opener for the Starkville High School volleyball team, but not without a fight from the Lady Jackets on Tuesday night at SHS Gym.
CHS claimed the first two sets before SHS bounced back to win the third set. The visitors from Lowndes County secured the win with a 28-26 win in the deciding set. The Lady Confederates took the commanding lead with back-to-back 25-17 wins. The Lady Jackets avoided the sweep with a 25-23 win in the third set.
“I was so proud of them for coming back from being behind,” said Head Coach Meghan Mullane. “We are being tested early by some really good teams. Caledonia is always a good volleyball team, but looking at them across the net, they have great height, great passers and they are just really solid. It’s also a rivalry game, so there are a lot of emotions with this match."
Mullane pointed out the resilience of her club in the third set by getting off to a great start in the set.
“I feel like we are on the cusp of what we can see for the rest of the season,” added Mullane.
SHS was led by sophomore Campbell Davis, who collected 17 kills in the 2025 home debut. Davis also finished with a pair of service aces and three blocks. Senior Karmin Robinson contributed seven kills. Senior Tatum Still posted a trio of service aces in the setback.
“We have five returning seniors this season and they have been on the court for us since they were sophomores. It is nice to have a veteran squad out there. We have added some new people, and we are trying to figure out how to get them all working together," mentioned Mullane.
The Lady Jackets return to action on Thursday with a trip to Northwest Rankin. First serve is set for 6 p.m.