MRA knocks off JA for first volleyball title
Madison-Ridgeland Academy made history Monday night, winning the school’s first volleyball state volleyball title in a 3-0 sweep over Jackson Academy.
The Patriots dethroned a Jackson Academy program that had become a dynasty at the MAIS Division I level, winning five straight state titles coming into Monday night’s championship match.
“This is a great group of girls that have put in a lot of work to get here,” Dorr said. “We played a lot of great teams during the season and I think it showed tonight in a straight, three-set win over a great JA team and we will see them for years to come.”
After Dorr took over the MRA volleyball program in 2021, he made it the program’s mission to build towards a state title and he knew the program would have to knock off Jackson Academy to do that.
“We’ve been building towards this for about four years, which is when I started here,” Dorr said. “It’s always been JA at the top. They have been the pinnacle in our division and we have been shooting for them for the last four years.”
These two programs met in the state title match last year as well and it ended up being the closest championship match in MAIS Division I history, as it went the maximum five sets. MRA even led in that final set last year, but the championship experience of Jackson Academy prevailed and won their fifth straight state title.
Things were different for the Patriots this year however, as they finally broke through and did it with a 3-0 sweep.
“We have been trying to change the culture with MRA volleyball and this is MRA’s first volleyball championship and it could not have come at a better time,” Dorr said. “I’m just so proud of this team and everyone that has put in the work to make this happen.”
It was a great season from wire-to-wire for the Patriots, as they finished with a 36-8 overall record and a perfect record in district play, where they ran the table through the regular season and tournament play.
While MRA is a team that is on the younger side with their roster, they were led by a few key seniors in North Florida commitment Fallon Humphries, Chloe Carr, and Kinsey Griffin, who built the foundation for the program.
“Our seniors came through big and we leaned on them heavily,” Dorr said. “These are the freshmen I brought in and they have helped build this program to what it is today.”
This MRA volleyball program is well set-up for the future as well, with key players such as Selah Sandringe, Emerson Dorr, and Alyssa Dampier, who is the daughter of former Mississippi State and NBA basketball player Erick Dampier.
Dorr has been able to coach his daughter, Emerson Dorr, who just finished up her sophomore season this year, to a state championship. His daughter, McClain Dorr, was a senior on last year’s team that lost in the state title game and is now a freshman playing at Itawamba Community College.
“It’s just really special to be able to coach your daughters. It was really tough last year coming up just short last year with my older daughter,” Dorr said. “My younger daughter (Emerson) hasn’t always loved it, but she is loving it now, so that’s all that matters.
The Patriots have finally reached the mountain top and have established a program that will be set up for success in the seasons to come.