As a region championship match, Warren Central vs. Neshoba Central fizzled pretty quickly. As a playoff tune-up, it wasn’t bad.

Neshoba Central won 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-19, 25-23) to clinch the MHSAA Region 2-6A title, but playing four highly competitive games against one of Mississippi’s top teams provided a momentum boost for Warren Central heading into the postseason.

“The fourth (game) was just back-and-forth, back-and-forth. I don’t know what happened. We lose a little momentum, we were a little slow on our feet, we weren’t getting our blocks and closing them off like we were,” Warren Central coach Matthew Gullett said. “But we played really well overall. I know if we can play that team, which is a solid team, as well as we did, then we can definitely get us a round one win.”

Warren Central overcame deficits of 10 points in the first game and six in the third to get within a point before Neshoba Central (21-6, 10-0 Region 2-6A) closed them out.

The Lady Vikes also fell behind 23-17 in the fourth game, rallied to get within 23-22, and then Neshoba scored the last two points to clinch it.

Warren Central largely controlled the second game and won it 25-19. It scored eight points in a row to take a 13-6 lead, then held off a charge by Neshoba.

Arrionna Jenkins led Warren Central with eight kills and three solo blocks. Melissa Herrle had eight kills, 11 assists and 13 defensive digs, Hannah Island added five kills and nine digs, and KeKe McKay had 12 digs.

KK Kelly also had four kills, 10 assists, 10 digs, and served four aces.

“I thought we really seized the momentum in the second. I was really proud of them in the first and the third. We got behind, especially in the first, and we fought back and we got it tight,” Gullett said.

Warren Central (21-9, 8-2) lost 3-0 in the first meeting with Neshoba Central, and thus needed to win by the same score and by a total of 23 points to overtake the Lady Rockets for the region championship.

Neshoba Central put the kibosh on that longshot scenario and clinched its second consecutive region title as soon as it hung on to win the first game.

The consolation prize for Warren Central is the No. 2 seed from Region 2-6A and the first home playoff game in the program’s 15-year history. The Lady Vikes will host Grenada (12-6) next Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.

“It’s giant. You see how we played here tonight. The girls fight hard because this is home,” Gullett said of hosting a playoff game. “I feel like we’ve found a good lineup. Our defense tonight was solid. Just a few little things here and there that we’re going to try to work on over the next week. Get some practices in, take a little time to let them relax and recupe, and hopefully we can make a run starting on the eighth.”

After ending the 15-year streak of going on the road, and having won 14 of its last 16 matches, Gullett also believes his team can end another postseason drought. It has never won a playoff game.

“I feel there is a great potential that we could break that streak and get us a playoff win,” he said.