The Picayune Lady Maroon Tide volleyball team took on the Hattiesburg Lady Tigers last Thursday evening, winning in four sets 23-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-11.

The win set Picayune up nicely to seal a playoff spot if they once again beat Hattiesburg Sept. 28.

In between the two district games the Lady Maroon Tide took part in a tournament Sept. 26 to give the young team more time on the court.

The four games played over the weekend didn’t count towards the team’s district record, but it did give the athletes more time to gain experience as Picayune chases a playoff bid.

“I’m really glad we went and faced some good competition. It’s better than having a practice. Hopefully playing in that tournament will make us better,” Dickens said.

Players have been in and out of the line up this year for Picayune because of injuries, and one such player was Makenna Williams, a setter who recently returned to the court after missing the beginning of the season.

Dickens said Williams and fellow setter Kaigyn Kulas have been productive while running Maroon Tide offense.

“McKenna is back now and doing a great job. Kaigyn Kulas is also playing at setter and they’ve really stepped up. This weekend I saw we put some good sets up, but then didn’t kill the ball like we should’ve. I think if we get more kills I feel like we can score more points,” Dickens said.

Being more clinical with hitting and serving will be two of the main areas of focus for Picayune as the team continues its season.

However, the mental side of things has also been heavily emphasized as Dickens looks to keep her team positive.

Picayune’s win against Hattiesburg was its first of the season, and there were times when a player’s body language would change because of the scores.

Now with a win in the bag, and with constant harping in practice, Dickens is hopeful her players respond accordingly.

“That’s what’s really been taught this season is keeping everybody positive and keeping them from getting discouraged. We lost the first set against Hattiesburg, but we’ve been really pounding on them about staying up and working through adversity,” Dickens said.

Picayune had a game Sept. 28 against Hattiesburg followed by another matchup with D’Iberville Sept. 29.

The matches have playoff implications and Dickens is hopeful after some intense practices her squad is up to the task. “I reminded them that great teams come from behind and that’s something I’ll always coach by. If there’s time left it’s never too late to come back. We’ve been working on the mental aspect of the game. Learning how to play hard and work through the adversity that comes with it,” Dickens said.

The Sept. 28 and Sept. 29 games are both away from home and will start at 6:30 p.m.