Games To Watch: JA and MRA settle season split for MAIS volleyball title
Jackson Academy and Madison-Ridgeland Academy have already beaten each other this volleyball season. Tonight, their rematch carries the biggest prize: the MAIS Division I championship. The girls varsity final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday, October 20, 2026, on a neutral court.
The Raiders bring a 46–7 record and a semifinal sweep into the title match. Elsewhere on the evening’s verified varsity schedule, Leake Academy visits Kemper Academy for a boys basketball matchup between teams listed at 0–0, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. CDT in DeKalb.
JA–MRA: a season split, then a championship
The earlier meetings give both finalists a concrete reason to believe they can win. Jackson Academy swept MRA 3–0 at home on August 6. MRA answered on its own court September 22, taking a 3–1 victory. Each has beaten the opponent it must now defeat for the title.
MRA’s September win came after Jackson Academy took the opening set 25–22. The Patriots won the next three, 25–22, 25–18 and 25–19. That four-set result shows MRA turning an early deficit against these Raiders into a victory. The Patriots won every set after dropping the opener.
Jackson Academy arrives off a decisive finish
JA’s latest evidence of form came Monday against Jackson Prep. The Raiders edged the first set 25–23, then won 25–12 and 25–8 to complete a 3–0 semifinal sweep. Prep pushed JA closest in the opener; the Raiders allowed fewer points in each successive set. That performance sent Jackson Academy into tonight’s final at 46–7.
Our report on Monday’s semifinal sweep details how JA advanced. The championship now follows the semifinal round covered in Monday’s Games To Watch. Tonight’s match listing identifies Jackson Academy and MRA as the opponents for the state-title match.
Boys basketball: an opening measure in DeKalb
Leake Academy at Kemper Academy offers an early look at two teams with no results yet reflected in their listed records. MaxPreps shows both at 0–0 for the 7:30 p.m. CDT game. The varsity listing describes it as a nonconference contest, making it an opening measure of form rather than a district-standings game.
Reporting sources: www.maxpreps.com; www.maxpreps.com.
Coverage: 2 verified games. Active sports checked: Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Volleyball. This is a source-confirmed selection, not a complete statewide scoreboard or schedule. Unreported results, unconfirmed schedules and unavailable sources are omitted. Schedules may change.
