State tournament week is here.
After nine weeks and plenty of regular season action along with district and regional tournaments in the books, a total of 64 teams will play for state championships in five classes.
Unlike last year when all five state champions — Fayetteville, Benton, Brookland, Baptist Prep and Mansfield — repeated in their respective classes, at least one of them will not repeat. That’s because in 4A, Baptist Prep, which won the past two 3A champions moves up because of the Arkansas Activities Association’s Competitive Equity Rule for private schools.
Brookland and Baptist Prep split two meetings this year at Spikefest on Sept. 7 and both teams are not on opposite sides of the bracket. A potential matchup would take place in the semifinals.
In 3A, where Baptist Prep defeated Hackett the past two years, there will be a new champion. Paris, which is hosting the tournament, is one of three No. 1 seeds with Harrisburg and Central Arkansas Christian. In addition, Mansfield, which won the past four 2A titles, is the No. 3 seed from the 3A-North regional and will face Benton Harmony Grove in the first round with the winner meeting Harrisburg in the quarterfinals. Conway Christian, which lost to Mansfield in the 2A finals a year ago, is the No. 2 seed from the 3A-North and meets Episcopal Collegiate in the first round with the winner meeting Crowley’s Ridge in the quarterfinals.
Hackett, which won the 2A title in 2019 and 3A title in 2020 and has been to the state finals the past three years, takes its shot in 2A. The Lady Hornets enter their third week ranked No. 1, host the state tournament and will meet either Conway St. Joseph or Izard County Consolidated in the quarterfinals.
In Class 6A, Fayetteville, which has won the past four state titles, is the No. 2 seed from the 6A-West and is on the same side of the bracket as Conway, which it defeated in last year’s state final. The other side has 6A-West champion Fort Smith Southside and Bryant, which was runner-up in the 6A-Central.
Benton, which has won the past two Class 5A titles and been in the state final the past three years, enters as the No. 1 seed from the 5A-South and will play Jacksonville. Greenbrier, which missed the state tournament a year ago, won the 5A-Central, is on Benton’s side of the bracket and will play Lake Hamilton in the first round.
Shiloh Christian, which was the runner-up the past two years in 4A, won the 5A-West and will play Mountain Home in the first round. Valley View, which has won 16 state titles and won the 5A-East, is on Shiloh’s side of the bracket and will play Greenwood, last year’s state runner-up in the first round.
Benton defeated Shiloh Christian on Oct. 12 in the gold bracket of the Lady Cat Invitational in Conway. With both teams on opposite sides of the bracket, a potential rematch in the finals is a possibility.
Action takes place this week at Springdale Har-Ber (6A), Van Buren (5A), Huntsville (4A), Paris (3A) and Hackett (2A) with the state finals on Saturday at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
For a more in-depth preview of the state tournament, listen to Episode 36 of the Arkansas Preps Weekly podcast on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.
Served by Arkansas Select Volleyball.
1. HACKETT (33-0)
Previous rank: No. 1
Lady Hornets sweep Founders Classic, Ozark Catholic and Quitman to win the 2A-North Regional and will face Conway St. Joseph or Izard County Consolidated 2A quarterfinals.
“Tonight was an awesome game for our team. We played with a ton of energy and were incredibly explosive both at the net and on defense. I think the girls had a lot of fun winning their first ever regional tournament and we can’t wait to play next week in state in front of our hometown crowd!” — Hackett Coach Bridget Freeman
2. BENTON (30-3-1)
Previous rank: No. 2
Lady Panthers sweep Hot Springs and No. 7 Conway. They will face Jacksonville in 5A first round.
“Big win! I can’t remember a time we have beaten Conway at Conway in 5-set match, and we won in 3. Our kids did what we asked them to do in practice. Thought our serve-receive and digs were one of our best of the year. What a good match for us before state.” — Benton Coach Michelle Shoppach
3. FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (28-5)
Previous rank: No. 3
Lady Mavericks sweep Rogers and No. 12 Bryant and will meet either Cabot or Fort Smith Northside, which beat Southside on Oct. 15, in 6A quarterfinals.
“I’m really proud of this group! They really put in the work and did all of the little things that we asked them to put themselves in this position to be conference champions and the number one seed going into state week. We know the job is not done! I think we’re playing really steady Southside volleyball, and I’m excited to get to have a few more games with them.” — Fort Smith Southside Coach Natalie Throneberry
4. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (30-4-1)
Previous rank: No. 4
In its first year in 5A, the Lady Saints go undefeated through the 5A-West with wins over Harrison and No. 21 Farmington. Next: Mountain Home in 5A first round.
“I am extremely pleased with how my team handled the move up to 5A. We knew it was going to be a tough task to win the conference, but I am happy with how they trained, persevered, and played so consistently. This league is tough, and there are some great teams in it. Now all of that hard work should pay off as we head into the state tournament. I expect it to be an exciting state tournament, and we are looking forward to the competition.” — Shiloh Christian Coach Nathan Bodenstein
5. BAPTIST PREP (32-7-1)
Previous rank: No. 5
Baptist Prep rolls through 4A-South Regional with wins over Fountain Lake, Arkadelphia and Mena. Next: Jonesboro Westside or Huntsville in 4A quarterfinals.
“We played well tonight and beat a good Mena team with a great crowd. We are so excited to compete in the state tournament next week in Huntsville. Moving to 4A has been so good for us. It has challenged us and we are so grateful to be back in the state tournament.” — Baptist Prep Coach Krista Spoon
6. BENTONVILLE (21-8)
Previous rank: No. 9
With 14 victories in its past 15 matches, including a victory over No. 6 Fayetteville, the Lady Tigers look like the team nobody wants to face in the 6A-State Tournament. Next: North Little Rock in the 6A first round.
“The girls played well tonight. Some of our younger kids are really starting to step up and we are really coming together and playing as a team. We haven’t beat Fayetteville since 2019 so it was exciting to do that for our seniors on our last home game.” — Bentonville Coach Hannah Berry on the win over Fayetteville.
7. FAYETTEVILLE (20-7)
Previous rank: No. 6
After a loss to No. 9 Bentonville, the Lady Bulldogs sweep No. 15 Fort Smith Northside. Next: Little Rock Central or Bentonville West in the 6A quarterfinals.
“We played well for two sets but fell short against a talented Bentonville team. We are happy to have secured the West No. 2 seed heading into the state tournament next week.” — Fayetteville Coach Jessica Phelan
8. CONWAY (24-9)
Previous rank: No. 7
Lady Cats secure 6A-Central title with 5-set victory over No. 12 Bryant before getting swept by No. 2 Benton. Next: Springdale Har-Ber or Jonesboro in the 6A quarterfinals.
“That was big. We switched things up a little bit in the fifth set with how we matched up with them. I was figuring out something that would work. We jumped out on them. Our passing and blocking did a good job and our serve-receive was tough. I’m super proud of our kids. People make a big deal out of winning streaks and I wanted the kids to take it game by game and play hard and see how it turns out. Bryant is such a good team and we knew that going into the season. Hats off to them for having a great conference season. They played hard and their libero did a great job making it hard for our middles to get the ball down. In the fifth set, our hitters did a great job.— Conway Coach Laura Crow on beating Bryant to win the 6A-Central.
9. BROOKLAND (34-5)
Previous rank: No. 8
Lady Bearcats win 4A-East Regional by dropping Forrest City, Pocahontas and Wynne. Next: Pottsville or Arkadelphia in 4A quarterfinals.
“Winning the first ever regionals was a special thing to do for our team and we are excited to get the win against a very talented and defensive Wynne team. We are excited for state tournament week and to see what happens.” — Brookland Coach Nancy Rodriguez
10. VALLEY VIEW (23-8-1)
Previous rank: No. 10
Wins over Searcy and Greene County Tech secure 5A-East title for Lady Blazers: Next: Greenwood in the 5A first round.
“It was a hard-fought conference all throughout the season with teams switching places on any given night and I am extremely proud of our players for staying the course. Looking forward to state week with this team and taking one day at a time to handle our business!” — Valley View Coach Margie McGee
11. MARION (23-7-1)
Previous rank: No. 13
Lady Patriots close out the regular season with wins over Jonesboro, Mountain Home and Searcy. Next: Van Buren in Class 5A first round.
12 MOUNT ST. MARY (24-9)
Previous rank: No. 14
Belles finish as the No. 2 seed in 5A-Central with sweep of Beebe and 14-2 conference record. Next: Sheridan in 5A first round.
13. BRYANT (19-10-1)
Previous rank: No. 12
Lady Hornets need to find a way to rebound after losing in five sets to Conway for 6A-Central title and to No. 3 Fort Smith Southside. Next: Bentonville or North Little Rock in 6A quarterfinals.
“We just kind of let the pressure get to us and our fundamentals broke down. I think we came in and were prepared. In the long haul, they outplayed us and they’re a great team.” — Bryant Coach Leigh Ann Back on the loss to Conway.
14. LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL (20-7-1)
Previous rank: No. 11
Lady Tigers fall to Jonesboro in season finale and have lost five of their last nine going into the state tournament. Next: Bentonville West in 6A first round.
15. GRAVETTE (19-5)
Previous rank: No. 19
Gravette drops No. 16 Prairie Grove for the second time in a week. The first time it was for the 4A-1 title and the second was for the 4A-North regional title. Next: No. 24 Mena or Pocahontas in 4A quarterfinals.
“My girls were extremely focused against Prairie Grove in the finals. We had a great morning practice that day at UCA and they were confident going into the match. Our upperclassman continue to be great leaders when we are in high pressure situations. Our sophomore and freshmen continue to make great plays when we need them. We are excited to head into state next week and continue our season.” — Gravette Coach Addison Masters
16. SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (19-11)
Previous rank: No. 17
Lady Wildcats drop No. 18 Bentonville West in five sets and sweep Rogers Heritage as Macon Butler had 33 kills in both matches: Next: Jonesboro in 6A first round.
17. GREENBRIER (21-10)
Previous rank: No. 20
After losing to Hot Springs Lakeside, Lady Panthers sweep Little Rock Parkview and Jacksonville to complete 16-0 run through 5A-Central. Next: Lake Hamilton in 5A first round.
“We were very motivated going into this season to come into the Central and make a statement. These seniors were in seventh grade when I got to Greenbrier and They have worked to build what we have here. They really wanted to go out with a conference title. I’m glad they were able to do that. Overall, this group of girls has worked so hard on and off the court to get here. I’m excited to see what they are able to do next week at state.” — Greenbrier Coach Katie Huff
18. FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE (19-13)
Previous rank: No. 15
Since sweeping Fort Smith Southside on Oct. 15, Lady Bears have lost two of three. Next: Cabot in 6A first round.
19. PARIS (30-6)
Previous rank: No. 22
Lady Eagles have won seven in a row since losing to Hackett in their tournament on Oct. 5. They also added a district and 3A-North regional title. Next: Harding Academy or Valley Springs in 3A quarterfinals.
20. CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN (19-8-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Lady Mustangs won the 3A-South Regional and have won 11 of their last 12 heading into the state tournament, including two wins over Episcopal Collegiate and one over Harding Academy. Next: Manila or Mayflower in 3A quarterfinals.
21. PRAIRIE GROVE (23-5-1)
Previous rank: No. 16
Lady Tigers were stunned twice by No. 19 Gravette in a week. Next: Pulaski Academy in 4A first round.
“Gravette played us well and came out on top. It was exciting to see each other again in the finals. We are looking forward to the opportunity to play more volleyball next week in the 4A state tournament.” — Prairie Grove Coach Lindsey Biocic
22. FARMINGTON (17-7)
Previous rank: No. 21
After moving up from 4A, Lady Cardinals go 11-3 in the 5A West with two losses to Shiloh Christian and one to Van Buren. Next: Greene County Tech in 5A first round.
23. WYNNE (18-10-1)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Lady Yellowjackets finish runner-up to Brookland in 4A-East Regional. Bree Pardy had 49 kills in three matches. Ella Reed had 102 assists. Next: Prairie Grove or Subiaco Academy in 4A quarterfinals.
24. MENA (24-11)
Previous rank: No. 24
Lady Bearcats get the runner-up spot in 4A-South Regional. Next: Pocahontas in 4A first round.
25. ENGLAND (17-7)
Previous rank: Not ranked.
Lady Lions drop Nevada, Taylor and No. 25 Conway St. Joseph to win 2A-South Regional. Next: Piggott or Life Way Christian in 2A first round.
DROPPED OUT
No. 18 Bentonville West, No. 23 Pottsville, No. 25 Conway St. Joseph
STATE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
CLASS 6A
At Springdale Har-Ber
TUESDAY
W4 Springdale Har-Ber vs. C5 Jonesboro, 1 p.m.
C3 Little Rock Central vs. W6 Bentonville West, 3 p.m.
C4 Cabot vs. W4 Fort Smith Northside, 5 p.m.
W3 Bentonville vs. C6 North Little Rock, 7 p.m
WEDNESDAY
C1 Conway vs. Springdale Har-Ber/Jonesboro, 1 p.m.
W2 Fayetteville vs. Little Rock Central/Bentonville West, 3 p.m.
W1 Fort Smith Southside vs. Cabot/Fort Smith Northside, 5 p.m.
C2 Bryant vs. Bentonville/North Little Rock, 7 p.m.
CLASS 5A
At Van Buren
TUESDAY
W1 Shiloh Christian vs. E4 Mountain Home, 1 p.m.
C2 Mount St. Mary vs. S3 Sheridan, 3 p.m.
E1 Valley View vs. W4 Greenwood, 5 p.m
S2 Hot Springs Lakeside vs. C3 Little Rock Christian Academy, 7 p.m.
C1 Greenbrier vs. S4 Lake Hamilton, 1 p.m.
W2 Farmington vs. E3 Greene County Tech, 3 p.m.
S1 Benton vs. C4 Jacksonville, 5 p.m.
E2 Marion vs. W3 Van Buren, 7 p.m.
CLASS 4A
At Huntsville
TUESDAY
N3 Pottsville vs. S4 Arkadelphia, 1 p.m.
E3 Jonesboro Westside vs. N4 Huntsville, 3 p.m.
S2 Mena vs. E4 Pocahontas, 5 p.m.
N2 Prairie Grove vs. S3 Pulaski Academy, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
E1 Brookland vs. Pottsville/Arkadelphia, 1 p.m.
S1 Baptist Prep vs. Jonesboro Westside/Huntsville, 3 p.m.
N1 Gravette vs. Mena/Pocahontas, 5 p.m.
E2 Wynne vs. Prairie Grove/Pulaski Academy, 7 p.m.
CLASS 3A
At Paris
TUESDAY
N3 Mansfield vs. S4 Benton Harmony Grove, 1 p.m.
E3 Manila vs. N4 Mayflower, 3 p.m.
S2 Harding Academy vs. E4 Valley Springs, 5 p.m.
N2 Conway Christian vs. S3 Episcopal Collegiate, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
E1 Harrisburg vs. Mansfield/Benton Harmony Grove, 1 p.m.
S1 Central Arkansas Christian vs. Manila/Mayflower, 3 p.m.
N1 Paris vs. Harding Academy/Valley Springs, 5 p.m.
E2 Crowley’s Ridge Academy vs. Conway Christian/Episcopal Collegiate, 7 p.m.
CLASS 2A
At Hackett
TUESDAY
N3 Ozark Catholic vs. S4 Cutter Morning Star, 1 p.m.
E3 Piggott vs. N4 Life Way Christian, 3 p.m.
S2 Conway St. Joseph vs. E4 Izard County, 5 p.m.
N2 Quitman vs. S3 Taylor, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
E1 Marshall vs. Ozark Catholic/Cutter Morning Star, 1 p.m.
S1 England vs. Piggott/Life Way Christian, 3 p.m.
N1 Hackett vs. Conway St. Joseph/Izard County, 5 p.m.
E2 Cotter vs. Quitman/Taylor, 7 p.m.