Southwest Mississippi beat East Central Community College 3-1 in the opening round of the Region 23 Playoffs, earning the first postseason win in Bears volleyball program history.
Southwest took the first two sets, 25-16 and 25-14, before East Central won a close third set. The Bears closed out the match with a 25-17 fourth-set victory, recording 13 kills in the set.
Lillian Daviss led Southwest with 16 kills, followed by Ina Smith with 11. Addie Raye Pennington had 34 assists. Smith led the Bears with 12 digs, and Kelis Parker added 10.
Coach Chris Laird said the victory was meaningful for the players and the program, noting the team played at home in front of its fans and fellow Southwest athletic teams. The Bears are scheduled to travel to Poplarville to face second-seeded Pearl River in the next round of the Region 23 Playoffs.
