The Atlanta Lady Rabbits brought Mineola’s 2023 volleyball campaign to a close with a straight-set win (25-23, 25-20, 26-24) Monday at Mt. Pleasant. The Lady Jackets conclude the season with a 22-19 record.

Playoff volleyball presents teams with a unique environment – the teams must be comfortable in a playoff setting. For the Lady Jackets, that sense of being comfortable did not come in the bi-district match against Atlanta until the third set. 

The first two sets were far from Mineola’s best volleyball of the year. In the first set, the Lady Jackets surrendered 13 points via miscues, in the second set, 12. That included five service errors and a host of over-amped shot attempts.

Despite the miscues, the Lady Jackets chipped away at an early deficit in the first set, eventually pulling to within one point, 24-23, on an Olivia Hughes smash ending a long volley. Hughes had a great first set, scoring on five strokes at the net and serving an ace. 

Her early scoring flourish was carried forward by teammate Mahayla McMahon who accounted for seven points in the set with six kills and a block. Her explosive score off a short set closed the scoreline late in the set.

Two unforced errors in the final moments gave the set to Atlanta. 

The Lady Rabbits built a solid lead in the second set. A 5-point run mid-set and the inability of Mineola to string consecutive points together opened a 21-12 lead.

The Lady Jackets fought back hard, closing the score to 23-19. Two strong McMahon kills and an ace by Caroline Castleberry led the charge. 

It was not enough as the Lady Rabbits ended the second set with two offensive scores – a middle kill and a push shot. 

Taking a playoff match when down 0-2 is tough. The early action in the third set indicated the challenge seemed made to order for the Lady Jackets. 

While minimizing errors, Mineola used two rallies early to open a 7-point lead at 12-5. Two McMahon kills, an ace and a Hughes drop shot featured in this surge. 

The set stood at 15-10, Mineola, with the Lady Jackets yet holding the momentum, but fighting against a barrage of tough scoring attempts by the leaping Lady Rabbits. 

A series of nice offensive scores by Atlanta eventually tied the set at 22. 

Some excellent, and desperate, volleyball ensued in the final stages of set three, but it was Atlanta who scored the only offensive point (of the last six points) and took the set and bi-district championship.