Coverage presented by Arkansas Select Volleyball.
4A
Class 4A has been wide open with three different teams — Baptist Prep, Pottsville and Jonesboro Westside — holding the No. 1 spot in the rankings all year.
All three teams have played tough schedules and played in high profile tournaments such as Spikefest, the LRCA Classic, the Hot Springs Lakeside Tournament and the Conway Lady Cat Invitational and hope those tough schedules pay off this week when it matters the most.
Westside and Pottsville won their regional tournaments. Baptist Prep, which won the 4A-5 Conference, finished third in the 4A-South Regional, losing to Bauxite in the semifinals before rebounding to beat Mena. Pulaski Academy, which finished second in the 4A-5, won that regional, knocking off Bauxite in the finals.
1. JONESBORO WESTSIDE (26-3-2)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: 4A-East Regional at Brookland: def. Little Rock Hall 3-0; def. Pocahontas 3-0; def. No. 8 Brookland 3-0
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. Huntsville/Mena Tuesday
“My girls played with heart and grit, and I was very proud of that. They executed our game plan well. Still a few things we saw tonight that we need to take back to the gym tomorrow and Friday and work on before next week, but I think it was a great win to enter the state tournament with.” — Jonesboro Westside head coach Codie Zeigler
2. POTTSVILLE (25-5-3)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: 4A-North Regional at Gravette: def. Berryville 3-0; def. Morrilton 3-1; def. No. 7 Huntsville 3-1
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. Baptist Prep/Pocahontas Tuesday
“I am so proud of my girls. After getting through the first round we started to gain confidence and playing incredible as a team. We had some hiccups but we are very excited and proud. Hopefully we can build on this momentum.” — Pottsville head coach Kacie Stabler
3. PULASKI ACADEMY (19-7)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: 4A-South Regional at Magnolia: def. Malvern 3-0; def. No. 5 Mena 3-0; def. No. 4 Bauxite 3-1
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. Wynne/Morrilton Tuesday
“We played really good volleyball all week long. The girls adapted to the other team’s play style and executed offensively. They had a great week.” — Pulaski Academy head coach Jason Lambert
4. BAPTIST PREP (23-13)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: 4A-South Regional at Magnolia: def. Arkadelphia 3-1; lost 3-2 to Bauxite; def. No. 5 Mena 3-0
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. Pocahontas Monday
“We knew going into our region it was going to be a dogfight and it was!!! We are excited about state tournament next week!!” — Baptist Prep head coach Krista Spoon
5. BAUXITE (22-10-3)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: 4A-South Regional at Magnolia: def. Fountain Lake 3-1; def. Baptist Prep 3-2; lost 3-1 to No. 6 Pulaski Academy Wednesday
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. Brookland/Clarksville Tuesday
“I am so proud of this team and their accomplishment on making it to the state tournament. We played some great volleyball in the regional tournament. Each player showed up and played their role exceptionally. We will now take the next few days to prepare for the state tournament.” — Bauxite head coach Haley Nelson
6. MENA (23-9)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: 4A-South Regional at Magnolia: def. Joe T. Robinson 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 6 Pulaski Academy; lost 3-0 to No. 3 Baptist Prep
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. No. 8 Huntsville Monday
“We are really excited heading into the state tournament. We’ve worked hard all season to get to this point, and we are ready to compete at our best and leave everything on the floor.” — Mena head coach Heather Goss
7. BROOKLAND (19-14-1)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: 4A-East Regional at Brookland: def, Lonoke 3-0; def. Wynne 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 1 Jonesboro Westside
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. No. 10 Clarksville Monday
“My team battled tonight but couldn’t finish and came up short to a good Westside team.” — Brookland head coach Katie Dillon
8. HUNTSVILLE (20-4-1)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: 4A-North Regional at Gravette: def. Ozark 3-0; def. No 10 Clarksville Tuesday; lost 3-1 to No. 2 Pottsville
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. No. 6 Mena Monday
“It was a hard fought game between two really good teams. After being down the first two sets we made some defensive adjustments that helped us win the third set and we battled really hard in the fourth but came up a little short. My girls never gave up and fought to the very last point. I’m proud of the discipline and dedication they showed and we are going to use all that we learned to help prepare us for state!” — Huntsville head coach Kasey Gosvener
9. CLARKSVILLE (19-10–2)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: 4A-North Regional at Gravette: def. Gravette 3-0; lost 3-1 to No. 7 Huntsville; def. Morrilton 3-1
This week: Class 4A state tournament at Wynne: vs. No. 7 Brookland Monday
Lady Panthers rebounded from loss to Huntsville to take third place in the regional tournament.
10. MORRILTON (16-9)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: 4A-North Regional at Gravette: def. No. 9 Prairie Grove 3-1; lost 3-1 to No. 2 Pottsville; lost 3-1 to No. 10 Clarksville
This week: Class 4A start tournament at Wynne: vs. Wynne Monday
Lady Devil Dogs earn their way into state with a victory over Prairie Grove.
DROPPED OUT
No. 9 Prairie Grove
3A
Are the Paris Lady Eagles (21-9-1) on the verge of winning their seventh state title in the past 11 years?
On Sept. 20, they were 4-9 despite playing one of toughest schedules in the state that featured teams like state tournament qualifiers like Class 6A North Little Rock, 5A Valley View, Van Buren, Farmington, Greenbrier and Mount St. Mary and 4A Pottsville and Mena. In addition, they had to replace 5 starters from last year’s state championship team.
Since then, the Lady Eagles have going 17-0-1 with regular-season victories over Harrisburg, Morrilton, Mena and Episcopal Colleigate. They also defeated Mansfield 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 25-27, 25-12) to win the 3A-North Regional in Dover.
Mansfield (29-6) had been on a roll since losing to Pottsville in the Fort Smith Invitational. The Lady Tigers won the Prairie Grove Invitational and fell to Mena in the Paris Lady Eagle Invitational on Oct. 4 before losing 3-1 to Paris in the regional final.
Just like Paris, Mansfield has a strong history, winning four consecutive Class 2A titles from 2020-2023.
While those two are the ones to watch, teams like Harding Academy and Episcopal Collegiate are worth watching. In addition, Harrisburg, which battled injuries and a tough schedule, won its regional.
1. PARIS (21-9-1)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: 3A-North Regional at Lincoln: def. Providence Academy 3-0; def. Lavaca; vs. No. 1 Mansfield Wednesday
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. Haskell Harmony Grove/Bergman Tuesday
“That was a big win for our team. We had a rough start to our season, but we seem to be putting it together at the right time of the season. In the semifinals against Lavaca, we won the first two sets by a good margin, but then lost sets three and four. We won set five in a battle to move on to the finals. I think the Lavaca game helped us to keep our focus during the Mansfield game. I think we played one of our better games and was able to finish out the fourth set so we did not have to go to that fifth set. Ashton Ihle and Rowan Patterson were again our anchors, but I think all phases of the game helped us to be able to win. Abby Yarnell did a great job as setter leading our team and giving our hitters a great ball to hit. Chloe Moore and Tayiah Thomas also did a great job blocking and giving us some good offense as well. Another important factor as well is that Coach Zimmer has been doing a super job helping our team to improve on some of our weaker areas, and that is a big reason that we played one of our best games yesterday.” — Paris head coach Jerry Fulmer
2. MANSFIELD (29-6)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: 3A-North Regional at Lincoln: def. Dover 3-0; def. Mayflower 3-0; lost 3-1 to Paris
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. No. 10 Central Arkansas Christian Monday
“Paris came out on fire and they played a great match! They are a very talented team and I knew that going into the game. Our girls did not play with the same intensity and fight as we did the night before against Mayflower. We want to use this to be fuel for next week at the state tournament, taking each day one game at a time.” — Mansfield head coach Kaylie Andrews
3. HARDING ACADEMY (19-4)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: 3A-South Regional at Harding Academy: def. Ashdown 3-0; def. Central Arkansas Christian 3-0; vs. def. No. 3 Episcopal Collegiate 3-2
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. Flippin/Lavaca Tuesday
“This week was a really fun one. Monday we defeated Ashdown 3-0 to secure a spot in state and then on Tuesday we were able to defeat CAC 3-0. The previous five times we had played CAC, the match had gone five sets so for us to win that match 3-0 showed some real toughness against a really good team. Then we played Episcopal on Wednesday in the final. We played them less than a week ago in the District Final and came away from that with a 3-0 win so in the first set I think they really wanted to prove something and they came out swinging and played really well in the first set. We finally settled into the match in the second and really had to battle to win that second set and that really got us back into the match mentally. We dipped again in the third and fourth sets but showed up late, closing the set on a 10-2 run. At that point, we were able to get our fans fully involved into the match and rode that momentum to the very end. The scrappiness that our defense showed in the final set and a half is what it looks like when we are playing our best. Overall the last two weeks have been very fun but we know that the biggest goal is still out in front of us so we are looking forward to this next week to get a few more chances to be together as this group.” — Harding Academy head coach Matthew Francis
4. EPISCOPAL COLLEGIATE (18-9)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: 3A-South Regional at Harding Academy: def. Jessieville 3-0; def. No. 5 Haskell Harmony Grove 3-0; lost 3-2 to No. 2 Harding Academy
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. Crowley’s Ridge Academy/Mayflower Tuesday
“We had the match in our hands in the 4th set 21-16 and let it slip away. I’m excited we will be on opposite sides of the bracket for state and hope we see each other again on the big stage.” — Episcopal Collegiate head coach Paige Gantar
5. HASKELL HARMONY GROVE (29-6-2)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: 3A-South Regional at Harding Academy: def. Maumelle Charter 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 3 Episcopal Collegiate; def. No. 7 Central Arkansas Christian 3-2
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. Bergman Monday
“We are super excited to be going to state for the second year in a row. This is a big deal for our program and our school! We have been talking about state since our first practice on June 2 and these girls have worked their tails off this season. 11.1.25 @ 7pm has been on our practice board since then and we are still working to achieve that. I am ready to see how these girls play with a little more pressure this week and see how far we can go.” — Haskell Harmony Grove head coach Bailey Korte
6. MAYFLOWER (19-11-1)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week; 3A-North Regional at Lincoln: def. Thaden 3-2; lost 3-0 to No. 1 Mansfield; def. Lavaca 3-1
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. No. 8 Crowley’s Ridge Academy Monday
“To be honest I’m not sure the seeding has a lot to do with the state tournament this year. There are several teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the state championship. The important thing about winning today wasn’t necessarily the seed, it was about us playing in a big moment and learning to succeed under pressure and stay together. This is a fun team because no one cares who gets credit, they just want to succeed and they love the competition part. Next week will be about determination and desire. We are all talented, it’s about who believes the longest, it’s going to be exciting!” — Mayflower head coach Monty Smith
7. HARRISBURG (21-12-2)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: 3A-East Regional at Hoxie: def. Melbourne 3-0; def. Bergman 3-0; def. No. 10 Crowley’s Ridge Academy 3-2
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. Mansfield/Central Arkansas Christian Tuesday
“That was a battle. CRA knows us, we know them, and to play them four times in a season is never easy. To come out on top three of those times, and especially tonight for a regional championship, says a lot about our group. We found a way in the fourth and fifth set, and that’s what champions do.” — Harrisburg head coach Derek Falls
8. CROWLEY’S RIDGE ACADEMY (19-7)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: 3A-East Regional at Hoxie: def. Cave City 3-0; def. Flippin 3-1; vs. lost 3-2 to Harrisburg Wednesday
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. No. 6 Mayflower Monday
“After a quick first set going to Harrisburg, I just simply said “this is not what our fans came here for to see. First set is over. Done. Let’s reset every point in set two and give ourselves an opportunity to win.
9. LAVACA (16-12)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: 3A-North Regional at Dover: def. No. 9 Conway Christian 3-1; lost 3-2 to No. 4 Paris; lost 3-1 to No. 6 Mayflower
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. Flippin Monday
Golden Arrows earn their way into the state tournament with a victory over Conway Christian, took Paris to the limit in the semifinals (11-25, 12-25, 26-24, 25-21, 10-15) before falling in the third-place match to Paris.
10. CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN (16-13-1)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: 3A-South Regional at Harding Academy: def. Cossatot River 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 2 Harding Academy; lost 3-2 to Haskell Harmony Grove
This week: Class 3A state tournament at Central Arkansas Christian: vs. No. 2 Mansfield
Lady Mustangs hope home court allows them to get to Hot Springs for the second consecutive season. Kayla Myers had 36 kills, 34 assists, 30 digs and 7 aces during the regional.
DROPPED OUT
No. 9 Conway Christian
2A
The Hackett Lady Hornets (25-5-2) are three victories away from claiming consecutive Class 2A state championships and four in the past seven years.
While Conway St. Joseph, Taylor and Cotter have better records, the Lady Hornets have challenged themselves against tough competition with their losses coming to Class 6A Fort Smith Northside, 5A’s Farmington, Valley View, Shiloh Christian and 4A Pottsville.
In addition, they’ve defeated 5A Siloam Springs, Farmington, 4A Huntsville and Gravette, Jonesboro Westside,
Undefeated Cotter (19-0) is on Hackett’s side of the bracket. On the other side is Conway St. Joseph (26-4 and Taylor (26-3-1), which St. Joseph defeated in the South Regional finals.
1. HACKETT (25-5-2)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: 2A-North Regional at Guy-Perkins: def. Founders Classical 3-0; def. Ozark Catholic 3-0; def. Quitman 3-0
This week: Class 2A state tournament at Piggott: vs. Magnet Cove/Cedar Ridge Tuesday
“We are super excited about winning regionals and can’t wait to head to state next week. I was very impressed with our discipline on defense, hustle plays, and serving. We have been really focused on those three areas and I thought the girls did a fantastic job of executing the things we are working on in practices.” — Hackett head coach Bridget Freeman
2. CONWAY ST. JOSEPH (26-4)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: 2A-South Regional at Taylor: def. Lafayette County 3-0; def. No. 5 England 3-1; def. No. 2 Taylor 3-2
This week: Class 2A state tournament at Piggott: vs. Marshall/Ozark Catholic Tuesday
“We went from not playing very well Monday, playing a little better on Tuesday, to maybe playing one of our better games all year on Wednesday and as a coach that is what you want. Even in the finals, we improved each set. I think we missed seven serves in the first set, five in the second set, three in the third, and zero in the fourth. The girls showed a lot of character, Taylor is a good team and not an easy place to play; so for us to be down 0-2 and come back is impressive.” — Conway St. Joseph head coach Luke Davis
3. TAYLOR (26-3-1)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: 2A-South Regional at Taylor: def. Cutter Morning Star 3-0; def. Magnet Cove 3-0; lost 3-2 to No. 3 Conway St. Joseph Wednesday
This week: Class 2A state tournament at Piggott: vs. Piggott/Guy-Perkins
“I was proud of the team! Our ladies fought hard with lots of enthusiasm until the end. We hit some kinks but will reset and be ready to go next week at the state tournament.” — Taylor head coach Courtney McHenry
4. COTTER (19-0)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: 2A-East Regional at Cotter: def. Lee 3-0; def. Marshall 3-0; def. Piggott 3-2
This week: Class 2A state tournament at Piggott: vs. Quitman/England Tuesday
“It was an incredible night of volleyball all around. Piggott gave us the hardest fight we have had and played with so much heart and determination, as well. The support both teams were given made for the greatest energy in our little gym. I wish I could come up with the words to express how I feel about last night. Proud is a complete understatement and I am still feeling the emotions today. After losing the first two battles, our ladies battled like I’ve never seen to win the war! Never underestimate the heart of a Warrior.” — Cotter head coach Nikki Guthrie
5. QUITMAN (14-5)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: 2A-North Regional at Guy-Perkins: def. Decatur 3-0; def. Guy-Perkins 3-0; lost to No. 1 Hackett 3-0
This week: 2A-state tournament at Piggott: vs. England Monday
Lady Bulldogs losses have come to quality squads: Hackett, Conway Christian and Morrilton.
DROPPED OUT
No. 5 England
