JA has been the standard bearer in volleyball for over the past decade, having appeared in every title game since 2012. The Lady Raiders are the only team to have ever won four straight titles and to do it twice – from 2014-2017 and from 2019-2022. Volleyball also has a four year run on the Mississippi Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.
The 2023 year started off great with 14 straight wins. Then, the Lady Raiders traveled to Madison on August 17 to take on MRA for the first of two regular season conference meetings. JA was riding an impressive 49-game win streak against in-state competition and a 57-game win streak against MAIS opponents. The Lady Pats were ready for the moment as they knocked off the defending champs in a rare three-set sweep. That also dealt JA its first loss of the season. On September 12 at the Raider Dome, the Lady Raiders exacted some revenge. After dropping the first set to MRA, they took the last three in convincing fashion. That set up a collision course for these two new volleyball rivals, and they both made it to the championship game.
Both teams had some difficulties closing out their semifinal opponents as MRA knocked out Hartfield and JA dispatched of Prep both in straight sets. The championship was one for the ages as MRA raced out to an eventual 23-14 lead before JA stormed back to a 23-23 tie. MRA would win the last two points of the set and claim a 1-0 lead. In the second set, JA would be the lead holder for the majority of the set as they evened the match up at a set apiece with a 25-16 second set win. The third set began with a lot of back and forth action before MRA eventually took a 9-8 lead. The Lady Raiders took the lead back and never let it go as they closed out the set on a 17-8 run to win it 25-17.
The fourth set began with a familiar feel as they had six ties and multiple lead changes all the way to 16-16 before MRA won eight of the next 10 points to get to set point. But that last point can sometimes be the hardest as JA won the next four points to close to within two. MRA pulled off the fourth set with 25-22 to send it to a decisive fifth set for the first time in MAIS Volleyball Championship history. In the final set MRA was the first to 10 points before the Lady Raiders scored six of the final eight points to claim the 3-2 victory.
JA became the first team in MAIS history to win five straight state volleyball championships, topping their previous record of two four-peats. JA finished with a 35-13 overall record and Coach Denson secured her fifth state title in her six seasons at JA.
