Coverage presented by Arkansas Select Volleyball.
6A
Conway and Bentonville West went to Springfield, Mo., and finished a combined 5-2 against teams in the Show Me State.
Conway defeated Republic (Mo.) 2-0; lost 2-1 to Ozark (Mo.), which is 12-0 on the season. The Lady Cats defeated Rock Bridge (Mo.) 2-1 and defeated Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo 2-0.
Bentonville West, which defeated No. 5 Fort Smith Southside 3-0 on Thursday, beat Nixa (Mo.), which is 11-6 and defeated Fayetteville 3-1 on Aug. 29. The Lady Wolverines beat Staley (Mo.) and lost to Kickapoo.
The big match this week is No. 4 Fayetteville at No. 2 Bentonville for first place in the 6A-West. A year ago, the two teams split the two matches with the home teams winning each time. Fayetteville won 3-0 on Sept. 24 and Bentonville won 3-1 on Oct. 22.
“The girls are ready to play Fayetteville. It’s going to be an exciting matchup at home with both of us being undefeated in conference,” said Bentonville head coach Hannah Berry. “They are always a solid, well coached team and the girls know we are going to need to be well prepared and ready to make any in game changes.”
Fayetteville head coach Jessica Phelan said, “We’ve been proud of how this group has found ways to win some gritty road matches early on. That toughness is exactly what we’ll need heading into a big week, starting with our rivalry match at Bentonville and then a tough road test at Northside to close out the first half of conference play.”
1. CABOT (18-1)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: def. No. 6 Little Rock Central 3-2; def. Bryant 3-0
This week: vs. Mount St. Mary Monday; vs. North Little Rock Thursday
Cabot proving they are the queens of the comebacks. Against Central, they were down 2-1 after three sets and trailed 20-13 in the fourth before coming back to win 28-26.
“Central is a very scrappy team with a lot of versatility in their offense. We struggled on their home court last year so we knew it would be tough again. I’m incredibly proud of the way our team came from being down 1-2 sets in the fourth set 13-20 to battle and win 28-26. We stayed composed, kept believing we could win, and trusted each other. Which is what we do best. This win means a lot to our team.” — Cabot head coach Anna Robertson on the victory over Little Rock Central
2. BENTONVILLE (16-2)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: def. Springdale 3-0; def. No. 9 Fort Smith Northside 3-0
This week: vs. No. 4 Fayetteville Tuesday; at No. 5 Bentonville West Thursday
Tristen Hamilton led the way with 25 kills and 16 digs. Evie Venters had 25 kills and 5 blocks. Lizzie Dorey had 37 assists and 9 aces. Kylah Manthe had 23 assists in both matches.
3. CONWAY (14-4)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: def. Baptist Prep 3-1; def. No. 6 Little Rock Central 3-1. Springfield (Mo,) Kickapoo Tournament: def. Republic (Mo.) 2-0; lost 2-1 to Ozark (Mo.); def Rock Bridge (Mo.) 2-1; def. Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo 2-0
This week: at No. 9 Jonesboro Tuesday; vs. Bryant Thursday
Conway makes a statement against Missouri teams that were 38-24-1
“We were able to work through some long rallies and a long day to finish strong. We have been focusing on trying to stay sharp the entire match and not let up which we were able to do in the last two matches. We battled it out early in the day with two long three set matches against Republic and Ozark. I was proud of our girls for battling with Ozark who still remains undefeated in their season. We grew as a team in that match and it carried over to the afternoon play.” — Conway head coach Laura Crow
4. FAYETTEVILLE (8-1)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: def. Jenks (Okla.) 3-2; def. Rogers Heritage 3-0; def. Springdale 3-0
This week: at No. 2 Bentonville Tuesday; at Fort Smith Northside Thursday. Lori Edict Invitational at Willard, Mo.: vs. Eldon (Mo.), vs. Carthage (Mo.), vs. Willard (Mo.), vs. Marshfield (Mo.).
“I think it was a really good opportunity for our kids to step up on the road after dropping the first two sets. I was very proud of the. for continuing to chip away and fight for points.” — Fayetteville head coach Jessica Phelan on the reverse sweep over Jenks
5. BENTONVILLE WEST (10-5)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: def. Greenwood 3-0; def. No. 5 Fort Smith Southside 3-0. Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo Classic: lost to Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo 2-0; def. Nixa (Mo.) 2-0; def. Staley (Mo.) 2-0
This week: at No. 7 Springdale Har-Ber Tuesday; vs. No. 2 Bentonville Thursday
Lady Wolverines had a strong week with the victory over Southside and going 2-1 against teams in Missouri with a combined record of 26-20.
“Southside is such a strong team. I am very proud of our hustle plays. We talked a lot about playing for the girl next to us tonight. Our team kept our offense fast and blocked with purpose tonight. We have big goals and we will continue to grow and improve.” — Bentonville West head coach Britney Davis on the victory over Fort Smith Southside.
6. FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (13-4-1)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: def. Fort Smith Northside 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 8 Bentonville West Thursday. Saturday at Greenwood Play Day: def. Greenwood 3-0; def. Greenbrier 3-0
This week: vs. No. 10 Rogers Tuesday
Ella Shelby had 61 digs in four matches while Adison Tharnish had 28 kills and 13 blocks and Julia Suggs had 68 assists 36 digs during the week.
7. SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (8-8)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: lost 3-2 to Rogers Tuesday. Owasso (Okla.) Tournament: lost 2-1 to Broken Arrow (Okla.), def. Lincoln Christian (Okla.) 2-0; def. Ponca City (Okla.) 2-0; lost 3-1 to Bixby (Okla.); def. Owasso (Okla.) 3-1 for third place
This week: vs. No. 5 Bentonville West Tuesday; vs. Rogers Heritage Thursday
Blakeley Pryor made the all-tournament team with 17 kills, 10 digs and 3 aces vs. Owasso. Two losses came to teams with a combined 22-10 record.
“I am proud of the growth of our team made this weekend. We are still working through the mental toughness side of the game, but we are much more prepared for the next week after this weekend.” — Har-Ber head coach Cassie Loyd.
8. LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL (9-3)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: lost 3-2 to No. 1 Cabot Tuesday; lost 3-1 to No. 4 Conway Thursday
This week: vs. Little Rock Southwest Tuesday; at No. 9 Jonesboro Thursday
Lady Tigers struggled to put away Cabot and lose the last three sets to Conway.
“I don’t know. We talked about it a lot. We didn’t show up tonight. I know that’s not my team. The message was this was going to be a hard match and we had to do everything in our power to shut them down. Instead, their outside hitters played like superstars tonight. We made them look really good. It just wasn’t our game. This week, it can be a good week or bad week and it was a bad week and hopefully we can bounce back. I need some senior leadership and we need to get our minds right.” — Little Rock Central head coach Markie Alberius on the loss to Conway
9. JONESBORO (10-2-1)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: def. Wynne 3-1, def North Little Rock 3-0; def. Little Rock Southwest 3-0
This week: vs. No. 3 Conway Tuesday; vs. .No. 8 Little Rock Central Thursday; Jonesboro Hurricane Playday: vs. Batesville, vs. Walnut Ridge
Lady Hurricane gets their shot against Conway and Little Rock Central this week. Mia Burch had 20 kills and 25 digs in three matches. Emmagin Spencer had 39 kills and 13 digs; Morgan Ware had 26 kills; Cooper Beck had 95 assists and 15 kills and Avery Mcpike had 41 digs during the week.
10. ROGERS (7-6-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: def. Carl Junction (Mo.) 3-0; def. No. 7 Springdale Har-Ber 3-2; def. Rogers Heritage 3-0
This week: vs. Farmington Monday; at No. 6 Fort Smith Southside Tuesday; vs. Springdale Thursday
Lady Mounties have victory over Har-Ber. Izzi Anderson had 36 digs in two matches last week.
DROPPED OUT
No. 9 Fort Smith Northside
5A
Two Class 5A teams distinguished themselves this week.
No. 2 Marion defeated Collierville (Tenn.) 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-16, 25-16), avenging a 3-1 loss on Aug. 26. Collierville (20-8) was the Class AAA runner-up in Tennessee in 2022 and 20224.
“A good win against a very well coached and strong program,” said Marion head coach Lisa Beasley.” Proud just doesn’t seem to do it justice when explaining how I feel about our team tonight!”
Unranked Beebe, which won three matches a year ago, swept No. 5 Little Rock Christian Academy 26-24, 25-23, 25-22 to enter the poll.
At the Big Miller Volleyball media day in July, new coach Jessica Morrison predicted big things for her team. “This group can do whatever it wants, they have the skill, we will go to state as long as they keep buying in. I have amazing players, they were never utilized together as a full team.”
So far, the Badgers are 6-2 and 5-2 in the 5A-Central and are looking like a team to pay attention to.
“We are soaking in last night’s huge win and will ride this feeling going into our next match against Mount St. Mary on Tuesday,” said Morrison. I” have said it before and will continue to say it, ‘This is the team to keep an eye on.’”
1. MOUNT ST. MARY (13-1–1)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: def. Vilonia, 3-0
This week: at Cabot Monday; at Beebe Tuesday; vs. Maumelle Thursday; at Lakeside MTXE Tournament: vs. Lake Hamilton, vs. Sylvan Hills, vs. Greene County Tech
Belles test themselves Monday at Cabot.
2. MARION (13-2)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: def. West Memphis 3-0; def. Collierville (Tenn.) 3-1
This week: vs. Mountain Home Monday; at Searcy Tuesday; vs. Greene County Tech Thursday; at Lakeside MTXE Tournament Saturday: vs. Little Rock Parkview, vs. Wynne, vs. Hackett
Lady Patriots knock off one of the premier teams in Tennessee.
“Amazing win!!! Our girls showed grit, heart, and just played together, played hard, and had fun! We adjusted defensively as the night went on and just settled in and played Patriot Volleyball. We did a nice job putting ourselves in positions to run our offense. We served aggressively! It was a solid team effort….— Marion head coach Lisa Beasley on the win over Collierville.
3. VALLEY VIEW (10-4)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: lost 3-2 to Mountain Home Tuesday; def. Nettleton 3-0
This week: at Searcy Monday, vs. Greene County Tech Tuesday; at Batesville Thursday. Lakeside MTXE Tournament Saturday: vs. Jonesboro Westside, vs. Mena
Lady Blazers fall 15-13 in the fifth set at Mountain Home after losing the first two sets.
“I thought my players showed some grit in the comeback and trying to pull off a reverse sweep.” — Valley View head coach Margie McGee on the loss to Mountain Home.
4. VAN BUREN (8-5-1)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: def. Harrison 3-0; def. Greenwood 3-1`
This week: vs. Siloam Springs Tuesday; vs. Russellville Thursday
Maitlyn Dunn had 43 assists and 18 digs in both matches while Catie Dunbar had 39 assists and 7 aces and Aubrie McGee had 35 digs and 23 kills.
5. FARMINGTON (13-4-1)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: def. Pea Ridge 3-0; def. No. 10 Siloam Springs 3-2; def. 3-0 Russellville
This week: at Rogers Monday; at Harrison Tuesday; vs. Greenwood Thursday
Emmerson Rehkopf had 59 kills in all three matches while Kolie Beach had 73 assists.
6. BENTON (9-3)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: def. No. 9 Hot Springs Lakeside 3-1; def. Lake Hamilton 3-2
This week: vs. Brookland (at 501 Volley) Monday; at White Hall Tuesday; vs. Hot Springs Thursday
Lady Panthers get resistance from conference foes that reside in Garland County.
“Back and forth, we would score 3 they would score 5!!! We kept each other going
slowed them down a little with their hitters and were able to come through with some key blocks. They served very aggressive and kept things even with their serving. We were glad to get the win.” — Benton head coach Michelle Shoppach on the win over Hot Springs Lakeside
7. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (9-6-1)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: def. Russellville 3-1, lost to No. 10 Siloam Springs 3-2
This week: vs. Greenwood Tuesday; at Harrison Thursday
Chloe Blessing had 39 kills and 33 digs in both matches while Bristol Bonanno had 50 digs in both matches.
8. LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (9-4)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: def. Little Rock Parkview 3-0; lost 3-0 to Beebe Thursday
This week: at Maumelle Tuesday; vs. Greenbrier Thursday
Sadie Costello had 11 kills, 2 aces and 1 assist vs. Parkview.
9. BEEBE (6-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: lost to Sylvan Hills 3-0, def. No. 5 Little Rock Christian Academy 3-0
This week: vs. No. 1 Mount St. Mary Tuesday. Hot Springs Lakeside MTXE Tournament: vs. Little Rock Hall, vs. Hot Springs Lakeside MTXE, vs. Brookland
Tavia Williams had 13 kills and 2 aces to lead the Badgers. Ainsley Roberts had 7 kills and 7 aces as the Badgers had 20 aces.
“Tuesday we took a hard loss to Sylvan Hills. However, we got into the gym on Wednesday and worked on the areas we knew we had to fix before facing LRCA. We knew that it was not going to be easy to take down LRCA. We knew we were going to have to be very disciplined and controlled throughout the whole match to make it happen. That is exactly what we did! We played controlled and kept ourselves grounded the whole night. Our backline was on point with their passes, which set us up for a lot of great attacks. As a team we had 33 kills. We cannot forget how important serves are in this sport, so getting 20 aces as a team made a big difference on the outcome of the match. Every single player played their hearts out last night and supported their teammates. Sure we had mistakes but we never got into our heads. We self evaluated and made the adjustments needed for the next play.” — Beebe head coach Jessica Morrison.
10. SILOAM SPRINGS (7-6)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: lost 3-2 to No. 6 Farmington Tuesday; lost to No. 8 Shiloh Christian 3-2
This week: vs. Springdale Monday, at Van Buren Tuesday; at Alma Thursday.
Lady Panthers drop two after entering the rankings. Siloam Springs overcame 2-0 deficit vs. Shiloh Springs to tie the match before losing fifth set 15-13. Farmington pulled off a reverse sweep to beat Siloam Springs, winning the third and fourth sets 26-24. Haley Thomas had 84 assists, 37 digs and 17 kills in both matches while Ericka Ellis had 45 kills and 35 digs.
DROPPED OUT
No. 9 Hot Springs Lakeside MTXE
