Coverage presented by Arkansas Select Volleyball.
6A
For much of the season, the focus in 6A had been on Cabot and Bentonville.
And with good reason, both teams played each other three times in two early-season tournaments with each match going the three sets. Cabot defeated Bentonville in pool ply at the Bentonville Early Bird Invitational before Bentonville returned the favor in the championship match. Two weeks later, at the LRCA Classic, Cabot overcame a 10-5 deficit in the third set to win 15-13 and win that tournament’s championship.
However, when the state tournament rolled around, both teams were eliminated in the semifinals. As a result, Conway and Fayetteville, two teams that combined to win the past five state championships, met with Conway winning 3-1.
1. CONWAY (30-5)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: vs. No. 7 Fort Smith Southside 3-1; def. No. 2 Bentonville 3-1; def. No. 3 Fayetteville 3-1
“This feels unreal. I feel like I can’t believe we just did it. Hats off to our kids who rallied at the end of October to make this happen. We have a great support system.” — Conway head coach Laura Crow
2. FAYETTEVILLE (25-6)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. No. 6 Little Rock Central 3-2; def. No. 1 Cabot 3-0; lost 3-1 to No. 4 Conway
“As a coach you want your kids to put it all out there, we told them how proud we are of them. For the whole season, they responded to losses really well and have been a joy to coach. To be one of the 10 teams here, I’m proud of that.” — Fayetteville head coach Jessica Phelan
3. CABOT (31-3)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 3 Fayetteville
Lady Panthers had a remarkable season that ended in the semifinals.
“Credit to Fayetteville — they played a great game. We just couldn’t get the momentum going when we needed it. Still, I’m really proud of our team. Winning conference, only losing three matches all year, and making it to the semifinals is something to be proud of. It’s a tough loss but doesn’t take away from our amazing year.” — Cabot head coach Anna Robertson
4. BENTONVILLE (31-4)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. No. 5 Bentonville West 3-1; lost 3-1 to No. 4 Conway
Lady Tigers ran off 16 consecutive victories and won the 6A-West Conference title.
“Yesterday was heartbreaking. It just didn’t all come together for us, but our girls left everything they had on that court. Conway played an incredible match — probably the best they’ve played all season — and they earned it. But that loss doesn’t define us. These girls accomplished so much — two tournament titles, runner-up at another, 6A-West Conference Champs, and a 31-4 record. What made this team so special wasn’t just the wins, though. It was how close they were — how much they loved each other, celebrated each other, and fought for each other. They’re truly a family, and coaching them has been a joy. It’s hard knowing it’s over, but I couldn’t be prouder of who they are and what they’ve built together. Our seven seniors are truly going to be missed but our program is going to feel their legacy for seasons to come.” — Bentonville head coach Hannah Berry
5. BENTONVILLE WEST (21-12)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. No. 9 Jonesboro 3-0; lost 3-1 to No. 2 Bentonville
Lady Wolverines upset Bentonville in regular-season finale and fell to them in the state quarterfinals.
“We are so proud of this team and how they played this season. Our entire goal was to create a competitive program that embodied a healthy culture. If you watch any game that West volleyball played you will know exactly what that culture is. We celebrate the girl next to us more than ourselves and we love our teammates hard.
“Our girls played their hearts out at the state tournament. Sweeping Jonesboro was a full team effort. Audrey Calva really stood out with her aces. Our fast offense was our main focus against them and the girls executed it properly.
“I am super proud of the defense we played against BHS, we would have beat them if we would have won that second set that finished 27-29. The offense that Claire Hammond our freshmen brought on Tuesday was very impressive. Laney Chilton is one of the best liberos in the state. She lead our defense with her serve receive and saves. A few new records were posted for our school after that match.” — Bentonville West head coach Britney Davis
6. LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL (20-7)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. No. 10 Rogers 3-0; lost 3-2 to No. 3 Fayetteville
Lady Tigers losses came to the best: Cabot twice, Conway twice, Fayetteville, Bentonville and Bentonville West.
“The state tournament was extremely competitive. We had a good first match against Rogers and felt prepared going into the Fayetteville match on Tuesday, but obviously didn’t get the outcome we wanted. Fayetteville is a tough team and I think we didn’t really show up until the third set making it a harder road to get the win. I thought the third and fourth set we made a statement, but our serve-receive broke down again in the fifth and that’s how teams win is if they can pass and serve. Super proud of my seniors for competing the way they did all season. I am also proud of my juniors and sophomores who stepped up in big moments when we needed them. We will for sure miss our seniors, but our future is bright.” — Little Rock Central head coach Markie Alberius
7. FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (23-9-1)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. North Little Rock 3-0; lost 3-1 to No. 4 Conway
After losing seven seniors from last year’s team, Lady Mavericks reach quarterfinals.
“Conway is a great team with strong pins and a solid defense. I think we did a great job of spreading our offense and making adjustments on defense. We played hard until the end and never gave up!” — Fort Smith Southside head coach Natalie Throneberry
8. SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (19-13)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: def. Bryant 3-1; lost 3-0 to No. 1 Cabot
“I was really proud of the fight our kids showed on the court this week. Cabot played an aggressive, clean match and deserved that win.” — Springdale Har-Ber head coach Cassie Davis
9. JONESBORO (16-11-1)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: lost 3-0 to No. 5 Bentonville West
Jonesboro showing improvement under second-year head coach Canaan Groesbeck
“Not the outcome we wanted but one game doesn’t determine our season or the things we have overcome. So proud of my five seniors and their fight!”— Jonesboro head coach Canaan Groesbeck
10. ROGERS (15-14-2)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Cabot: lost 3-0 to No. 6 Little Rock Central
Late-season victory over Fort Smith Southside helped vault Lady Mounties into state tournament.
“I am really proud of what our team has done this year considering at times, we had five sophomores and one freshman on the court. We beat some good teams this year and the girls got a glimpse of what is needed at the state tournament. It was a great experience for this group and I know they are going to do everything possible to get back next year. I have enjoyed coaching this group and making some great memories with Rogers Volleyball this year.” — Rogers head coach Christina Lawrence
5A
All season, the Marion Lady Patriots were consistent.
Marion opened the season ranked No. 2 in Class 5A and never fell below No. 3 before spending the past four weeks at No. 1
Marion, which hadn’t won a state championship since 2015, won its fourth in school history, with a 3-2 victory over Farmington Saturday at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
Van Buren and Shiloh Christian, both of whom reached the semifinals, finish the season third and fourth. Valley View, which was preseason No. 1 and was knocked out int the quarterfinals by Farmington, finishes fifth.
1. MARION (28-2)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. Sylvan Hills 3-0; def. No. 8 Siloam Springs 3-0; def. No. 5 Van Buren 3-0; def. No. 3 Farmington 3-2
“This is awesome. I can’t put it into words, this group of seniors been with me since they were freshmen, I’m so happy they got this opportunity.” — Marion head coach Lisa Beasley
2. FARMINGTON (26-6-1)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. Hot Springs 3-0; def. No. 2 Valley View 3-0; def. No. 9 Shiloh Christian 3-0; lost 3-2 to No. 1 Marion
“I cannot be more proud of this team. They are amazing in every single way. We battled all season long and faced so much and I cannot be happy with the way they battled.” — Farmington head coach Kylie Moad.
3. VAN BUREN (18-8-1)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. Hot Springs Lakeside 3-2; def. No. 4 Mount St. Mary 3-2; lost 3-0 to No. 1 Marion
Lady Pointers lost three matches after Sept. 13.
“I would describe our state tournament experience in the same way I would the season: exciting, heart pounding, and gritty. I feel like I’ve been spoiled during my first year as a head coach with not only the success that we had, but also with the group of girls that made up our team. There are so many reasons that a team is successful during a season but the majority of our success can be attributed to our senior class. They are a hard working, takes no short cuts type of group with some vocal leaders and others that lead by example. That also sums up what Coach Ball and I said to the girls after our semifinal loss on Wednesday. In July, none of us really knew what the line up would look like or how the year would go but these girls left their mark on the program and on this first year head coach!” — Van Buren head coach Whitney Adams
4. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (21-15-1)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. No. 7 Benton 3-0; def. No. 10 Greenbrier 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 3 Farmington 3-0
After replacing five starters from state championship team, Lady Saints navigate tough schedule and reach the semifinals.
“I am extremely proud of my team and how well we competed in the 5A state tournament. We represented our conference well as the 4-seed and played extremely well. Farmington is an excellent team with few weaknesses. We know it’s going to be even more competitive moving up to 6A, but are looking forward to working hard in the offseason to prepare for that.” — Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein
5. VALLEY VIEW (25-7)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. No. 6 Little Rock Christian Academy 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 3 Farmington
Lady Blazers’ bid to win title No. 17 will have to wait another year.
“It was a great competitive season with a group of players, coaches and teammates that were all in for each other on and off of the court. It’s hard to lose and have a season come to an end when you truly enjoy being around each other. The wins are great, who doesn’t love to win, losses are tough but the memories and perseverance that this sport teaches will last forever!” — Valley View head coach Margie McGee
6. MOUNT ST. MARY (24-8–1)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. Greene County Tech 3-0; lost 3-2 to No. 5 Van Buren
Belles win 5A-Central Conference title and knock off Valley View at Spikefest.
“We went head-to-head with a really tough team, and I couldn’t be prouder of our girls. Going five sets and being down 13–14 on that final point was such a tough way to end, but our team showed incredible fight and heart. They’ve worked so hard all season and really trusted us and the process, and that commitment showed in how they competed.” — Mount St. Mary head coach Olivia Stroud
7. SILOAM SPRINGS (17-11)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. Lake Hamilton 3-1; lost 3-0 to No. 1 Marion
Lady Panthers continue improvement under third-year coach Carrie Thammarath
“Marion is a very disciplined and talented team. It was a fun match to play and I’m incredibly proud of us for fighting hard and continuing to be aggressive and play united. We have a great group of players and families and each year we are continuing to make strides as a program.” — Siloam Springs head coach Carrie Thammarath
8. GREENBRIER (17-13)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: def. Paragould 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 9 Shiloh Christian 3-0
Lady Panthers navigate tough schedule with runner-up finish in 5A-Central and trip to quarterfinals.
“Today we fell to another really good Shiloh team. I thought we fought really hard and unfortunately we just could not get over the hill. We have a lot of young players and I have no doubt they will bounce back.” — Greenbrier head coach Katie Huff
9. LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (20-9)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: lost 3-0 to No. 2 Valley View
“I am proud of our team this season. Although our season ended a little sooner than we had planned, our team worked hard and finished together. We are a young team this year, with only one senior, so I was proud of how hard they battled and worked all season to continuously get better.” — Little Rock Christian Academy head coach Lacey Rowan
10. BENTON (21-10)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Marion: lost 3-0 to No. 9 Shiloh Christian
“Tough loss at the end of an outstanding season. We served aggressively and kept them out of system. We had over 30 touches on our blocks but could only convert the touches to 4 blocks Such a learning opportunity for our young team.” — Benton head coach Michelle Shoppach
