It was a tough night for the Picayune volleyball team as talented Long Beach visited Tuesday.

The Maroon Tide tried to keep the game close, but ended up losing the game three sets to none.

“I think Long Beach is a really good team, and they’re just more experienced than we are. That’s probably the best team we’ve played this year,” Head Coach Courtney Dickens said.

During the first set the Maroon Tide were still getting warmed up, and several kills were sent into the net preventing Picayune from putting Long Beach on the defensive.

The set ended with a final score of 25-12. The second set started off tight, but Long Beach was able to eventually pull away.

The Bearcats took the set with a score of 25-15. The last set ended with Long Beach securing their win 25-6. The team has injected some young talent into the team to try and alter lineups.

Changes in the offensive system, and some shifts defensively have seen some new talent take the court for the Maroon Tide.

Junior Abby May had some key serves during the game, and also had a save as she careened towards the stands in order to hit the ball back over the net.

Dickens also said senior blocker Aliciana Carter had several key blocks against the Bearcats.

The Long Beach players had some serious heat on the ball when they spiked it, and Dickens said Carter’s ability to block some of those hits speaks to her talent.

Freshman Makenna Williams also did a good job passing the ball, while junior Kyra Hathorne had several key saves to save the Maroon Tide some points.

It wasn’t the result the team was looking for, but Dickens said the work ethic was still there from her athletes.

“We had a good crowd last night, and people understand that this is only our second year. They’re here to watch (the players) play hard, and support them.” Dickens said. “What people want to see is hard work and effort.” The squad’s next game will come against district rival Greene County, and the Maroon Tide will be looking to get another win from the Wildcats when they host them on Sept. 23.