Keller leads New Albany to 30th win; Myrtle, Ingomar advance

Allie Keller delivered 21 kills as New Albany swept Amory for its 30th victory Tuesday, joining Myrtle and Ingomar in the third round of the state volleyball playoffs. West Union's postseason ended at Pine Grove, leaving four Union County teams in Thursday's tournament field with East Union already through.

New Albany won 25–11, 25–10, 25–14 at home to improve to 30–9. Keller hit .581 and added five aces and nine digs, according to the match statistics posted on MaxPreps. Laurel Malone supplied six kills without an attacking error, while Sara Barton Ozbirn distributed 22 assists. Bella Golden matched Keller with five aces; the Bulldogs finished with 17.

The sweep was New Albany's fifth consecutive victory and its second of the playoffs, following Saturday's win over Byhalia. The Bulldogs now visit Ripley for a Class 4A third-round match Thursday, October 8, at 6 p.m.

Myrtle earned its Class 2A berth with a 3–1 road victory over Baldwyn. The Hawks took the first two sets 25–15 and 25–20, dropped the third 25–19, then closed the match 25–19. Myrtle improved to 22–7 and extended its winning streak to three matches. Walnut is next Thursday; a start time was not posted.

Ingomar swept Potts Camp 3–0 in Class 1A, improving to 23–7 with its fourth straight victory. The Falcons have won both playoff matches in three sets, including Saturday's opening-round sweep of Biggersville. They face Pine Grove on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Pine Grove reached that matchup by defeating West Union 3–0 Tuesday. The Eagles had advanced with a sweep of West Bolivar in the first round, but the Panthers ended their run and improved to 23–11.

East Union will host Hatley on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Class 2A. Hatley swept Eupora Tuesday to complete the pairing after the unbeaten Urchins eliminated New Site on Monday.

The county's football schedule also resumes Thursday, with Myrtle visiting Strayhorn at 7 p.m. East Union hosts Bruce and New Albany hosts Ripley on Friday, October 9, both at 7 p.m. All times are Mississippi local time.

Sources: New Albany, Myrtle, Ingomar, West Union; Class 2A bracket, MHSAA calendar and current MaxPreps team schedules.