If you go to a Brookhaven High volleyball match inside Sinclair Gymnasium this season, you’ll see a program that’s grown so much in its brief history.

This is the fourth season for the Panthers to play the sport under the leadership of head coach Charlton Grey. The team will open the season on Monday, Aug. 5 with a match at Lawrence County High in Monticello.

It’s not just knowledge of the game that’s improved within the program and fan base, but the general atmosphere as well.

The first season started with a temporary net and confused looks on the faces of most spectators when the referees made a call they didn’t understand. And even confused looks on the faces of the Panthers as they learned the rules of a new game.

The program has a strong booster club and a dedicated group of parents that were working the concession stand this summer during a day filled with preseason scrimmages hosted by BHS.

The volleyball infrastructure in the gym has been constantly improved and the team has made improvements on the court each season too.

The program experienced its first varsity win in its second season with a victory over Natchez High at home. They won five matches in that season and qualified for the playoffs, a road loss at Vancleave.

The momentum continued in 2023 as the Panthers won seven matches and made history by hosting their first home playoff match, a 3-0 loss to Gautier.

Vancleave and Gautier are schools on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, an area that’s rich in volleyball tradition as the sport is also extremely popular in nearby costal Alabama and all through Louisiana. In Mississippi, championship level volleyball is based mostly around the coast, the Jackson Metro area and the schools on the state line near Memphis or Northeast Mississippi.

When slow-pitch softball was eliminated by the MHSAA, many schools throughout the area and state began to play volleyball in order to offer another sport for their female student-athletes.

Lawrence County, Wesson and BHS are all area schools that have started offering the sport in recent years, joining teams at Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst, and McComb.

The sport is also growing on the community college level, as Southwest Mississippi CC recently hired its first head coach and will field a team for the first time in nearly 30 years when they begin play in 2025.

It’s only a matter of time before BHS has its first volleyball player sign with a collegiate program.

“I definitely let my young ladies know that we’re currently in a great time to be playing volleyball, as there are so many future scholarship opportunities coming in the sport,” said Grey.

Seniors Bailee Gamble and Olivia Smith are likely the most experienced players in program history. Gamble missed time last year with an injury, but she’s back and ready to lead this season as she and Smith both took the game up as freshmen.

“Those two are definitely the elders within our program,” said Grey. “They do a great job of lifting up our younger players and being leaders and role models.

Other seniors on the team include Iris Barnard, Aniyah Williams, and Micah Walker.

There have been times where the Panthers have been bigger at the net, especially when former BHS basketball standout Leah Wilcher was on the team. At nearly 6-foot-4, Wilcher cast an imposing shadow as a blocker.

Where you can see the improvements in the program in its ability to dig and rally, despite not having lots of height.

Junior Jayonna Pendleton is a big part of coordinating those defensive rotations as she talks her teammates through their coverage along with her classmate Jamaria Cook.

Talking is a huge part of being successful at volleyball. A team too cool to talk is going to get their bell rung in quick fashion.

Other juniors on the roster include I’Breshia Butler, Jakaylan Wilson, Julianna Townsend, Addyson Foster, and J’kariya Williams.

Foster is one of the key players on the front line for BHS along with Townsend.

“We’ve got a great group of juniors who are competitive,” said Grey. “That’s something we talk a lot about. How to be competitive and have that will to do your best, but also have fun while you’re doing it.”

The sophomore and freshmen groups are dotted with players that will also see time playing in junior varsity matches when needed.

The program also has a team of seventh and eighth graders based at Alexander Junior High that’s coached by Angelia Hardy. The AJH squad will play 14 matches this season.

Sophomores on the team include Brianna Jones, Caitlyn Cameron, Caylin Crossley, Lynsie Small, Lilly Jones, and Taylin Stallings. Freshmen team members are Taliyah Wilcher, Aaliha Williams, Celie Estess, Ivy Thomas, Chloe Emory, and Drew Calcote.

“I lean heavily on Coach Hardy as she leads our junior high program,” said Grey. “She works very hard, and we watch film together and the girls from both campuses spend a lot of time together at practices and games.”

Sandra Banks also serves as an assistant for the volleyball program.

The Panthers compete in Region 3-5A along with North Pike, South Jones, Natchez High, Florence High, and Provine High.

They’ll make their Sinclair Gymnasium debut on Aug. 8 when they host West Marion. BHS will host Franklin Conty on Aug. 12, Salem on Aug. 15, and Wesson on Aug. 22.

They’ll then play at Wesson on Aug. 26. Region play begins on Aug. 29 when the Panthers travel to North Pike. They host region foes Natchez on Sept. 9, Florence on Sept. 12, Provine on Sept. 16, and South Jones on Sept. 17.

The regular season home finale is on Oct. 3 against North Pike.

Lawrence County, which began playing volleyball in 2020, is coming off an 11-9 campaign last season.

The Panthers have yet to beat their rival from LC in a regular season match, but the schools had a tight battle when they scrimmaged at BHS recently in a jamboree.

Lawrence County coach Sherri Ervin has some size up front that Brookhaven High will have to contend with.

“We always enjoy getting to play the other schools in our area and Lawrence County has a great program already,” said Grey. “It’s a lot of games packed into August and September, but I really like this group and think they’re going to keep working and lifting each other up as we continue to improve.”