POPLARVILLE — Mississippi’s first junior college volleyball squad is continuing to take shape as Pearl River head coach Haley Chatham announced five more additions to her roster on Monday, including East Marion alum Amber Willis.
Joining the Wildcats are Lashundria Chatman from Brandon, Kaliyah Shavers from Northwest Rankin, KyLeigh Richardson of Fruitdale, Ala, Madelyn Misita from Clinton and Willis.
“I’m really excited about how our first class has rounded out,” Chatham said. “These five will bring a lot of athleticism and offensive power to our roster.”
Chatham is particularly excited about the addition of Willis. A current Pearl River student, the East Marion product was someone who caught Chatham’s attention at the Wildcats’ tryout.
“Although she hasn’t played competitively in a year, she still stood out from the group by jumping out of the gym and flashing a powerful swing,” Chatham said of Willis, who could play any of outside hitter, middle blocker or as a right side.
Willis, who will be a sophomore next season, had an unfortunate end to her prep career at East Marion. The talented hitter tore her ACL toward the end of her junior year and had to sit out her entire senior season on the volleyball court. That limited her capability of showcasing her skills to coaches at the next level.
When she was healthy, Willis led the Lady Eagles to a 20-5 record in 2016 while leading the squad in kills, aces, points, blocks, serves received and was even second in digs.
Pearl River recently announced its schedule for the program’s debut. The Wildcats’ slate of games will take them through Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. The team’s nine home matches will be played at Shivers Gymnasium, which is currently undergoing facility upgrades.
