It has been a long time coming for the Lady Tiger volleyball program as they brought home their first tournament hardware in half a decade this past weekend. Mount Pleasant won 10 games to only two losses to take the Mt Vernon tournament championship knocking off five teams along the way.

In the opening round, the Lady Tigers took down Avery 25-21, 26-24 to move into the championship side of the bracket. The second game was a little more comfortable as Mount Pleasant topped Pewitt 25-20, 25-16. Another win against Wolfe City 25-20, 25-19 would leave the Lady Tigers undefeated heading into their final matches.

The semifinal match would pose some adversity on Mount Pleasant for the first time in the tournament as Como-Pickton won the first game 23-25. The Lady Tigers would bounce back netting the next two games 25-23 and 25-18 sending them into the final versus the host team. Mt Vernon would take the Lady Tigers to three games as both teams split the first two 25-21, 15-25. Mount Pleasant would show their mental toughness with a solid 25-17 win in the final game to bring home the trophy.

The Lady Tigers were led by setter Jordan Andrade’s 60 assists along with 11 aces. Aziyah Farrier controlled the net putting away 46 kills and swatting 9 blocks to go with 11 digs and 9 aces. Paris Beard was also solid with 35 kills and a team-high 25 digs to go with 7 aces and 3 blocks. First year head coach Kristy Ciuba was extremely satisfied with the way her team performed. “Overall, I thought we played really well,” said Ciuba. “It excites me to see different girls step up each game to help with the win.”

The Lady Tigers (8-10) will host Paris (6-9) this Friday at Willie Williams Gym with the freshmen and JV beginning at 4:30 PM. Tickets must be purchased online at www.mpisd.net/athletic-tickets

By Drew Barkley

Lady Tiger Varsity Volleyball takes the Mt Vernon Tournament crown. Picture L-R: (back) Samantha McClenan, Autumn LeRoy, Jordan Andrade, Head Coach Kristy Ciuba, Essence Hurndon, Jordyn Hargrave, Autiuana Johnson, Morgan Brooks, Natalie Rodriguez (front) Aziyah Farrier, Paris Beard, Miyah Amador-Farrier, Gyselle Lozano