With the 2024 prep volleyball season complete, The Natural State Sports Network awarded a Player, Coach and Newcomer of the Year.
The first, second and newcomer teams are listed in a separate story.
Served by Arkansas Select Volleyball.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gabriela DuPree, Fort Smith Southside
The Fort Smith Southside Lady Mavericks were ranked No. 1 for the first seven weeks of the season and advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals before losing to Bentonville 3-2.
A big reason for their success was the play of 5-11 senior Gabriela DuPree, who was a force on the court with 498 kills while having a .252 hitting percentage with 464 digs, 42 aces and 48 blocks. She had a season-high 24 kills twice (a 3-2 victory over Bentonville on Oct. 1 and a 3-1 victory over Bentonville West on Oct. 17). She had a season-high 35 digs in the semifinal loss to Bentonville and had three other matches with at least 20 digs. As a result, DuPree, who signed with Southwest Baptist (Mo.) is this year’s Natural State Sports Network’s Player of the Year.
In addition, she is a nominee for Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year and is on the Under Armour Phenom Watch List and was also selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s All-American third team.
To Southside head coach Natalie Throneberry, DuPree is one of those players whose impact went beyond the statistics.
“Every so often there are players who take on a role so big it feels more like having an extra coach on staff. We were very blessed and had several players who were so invested in this team and this program this season, and Gabriela really stood out to me as someone who took on so many roles that it set her apart. Her consistency, dedication, and grit showed up in the stat lines. But, those qualities aren’t nearly as impressive as who she is as a person and teammate.
“Gabriela has been the glue to this team for some time now. When she spoke, we all listened. She drove practices to be more competitive and focused. She had the ability to put her team on her shoulders and run. She has a gift of bringing out the best in those around her just by being herself. That is what I am most proud of when it comes to Gabriela. She was such a gifted and amazing athlete… but she has always and will always be an even better human,” said Throneberry.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Reese Davis, Springdale Har-Ber
To record over 1,000 assists as a sophomore for a Class 6A school that reached the state quarterfinals is amazing.
That was the case for Springdale Har-Ber sophomore setter Reese Davis, who had 1,024 assists, 235 digs, 56 kills, 21 blocks and 35 aces for the Lady Wildcats. She helped Har-Ber finish 20-12 and 10-6 in the 6A-West with victories over 6A runner-up Bentonville and 5A runner-up Greenbrier, plus 5A quarterfinalist Farmington in the regular season.
On the year, Davis had nine matches with at least 40 assists, including a season-high 50 in a 3-2 loss to Fayetteville on Sept. 12. She had 47 in a 3-1 victory over Rogers on Oct. 15 and 46 in a 3-1 victory over Bentonville West on Sept. 24.
She had a season-high 14 digs in a 3-1 loss to Fort Smith Southside on Aug. 29 and 9 matches with at least 10 digs. She had a season-high seven kills in a 3-1 victory over Farmington on Aug. 26.
“I am so proud of Reese and what she has accomplished this season,” said Har-Ber head coach Cassie Davis. “As a sophomore and first-year varsity starter, she was not only an amazing setter, but a great leader too. Her competitive edge and will to win sets her apart. She has great delivery on the ball and puts her hitters in really good positions to score. She ran a really balanced offense which helped our success throughout the season. I can’t wait to see what the next two years bring her! I am so proud to see her hard work paying off!”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jerry Fulmer, Paris
When the 2022-2023 school year ended, the Paris Lady Eagles were looking for their third head coach in three years. Jordan Devine, who led Paris to the 2021 Class 3A state title, stepped down after the 2022 season. Josh Garcia-Hart stepped down after the 2023 season.
When it came time to hiring a new coach, Athletic Director Trey Prieur did not have to look far to finding someone who could take over a team that had won five state titles since 2016. His choice was Jerry Fulmer, a longtime assistant.
And Fulmer did not disappoint, leading the Lady Eagles to a 33-6 record and the school’s sixth state championship when they defeated Central Arkansas Christian 3-1 to win the Class 3A state title.
“When we started looking for the next volleyball coach at Paris High School, we wanted the best person to lead this group for the season with the high expectation of a state championship. With the history of Paris volleyball, we knew this expectation wasn’t out of sight,” said Prieur. “Coach Fulmer has been with the program since the beginning of the historical run for Paris. He has worked for several head coaches and has been in a position to learn from them all. Coach Fulmer is well respected in the family and treats his students and athletes with the upmost respect and care and we knew we had the best candidate already sitting on our bench.”
Fulmer knew he was walking into a situation where winning at the highest level was expected and embraced the challenge.
“I can’t believe it. I don’t know what to say,” said Fulmer of receiving the honor. “I happened to be in the right place at the right time.
“When this job came open, I told my AD, let’s find the right fit, but I told him I’d be willing to step up. My expectation was we had the potential to win it all. I felt we were one of the best teams in 3A. I know with Baptist Prep moving up to 4A and Hackett moving down to 2A, the door was open, but there was no guarantee. We had to go out and get the job done.”
After winning the 3A title in 2021, the Lady Eagles fell to Baptist Prep in 2022 and 2023 in the quarterfinals. After two years of missing the finals, Fulmer said his seniors, who were freshmen when Paris won in 2021, wanted to add their own championship to the school’s trophy case, even with another coaching change.
“Early on when I talked to the girls, they had the mentality that they were going to do it,” he said.
While winning the state title was nice, what Fulmer really appreciated was the support from the community who embraced bringing home another state championship.
“It feels great to have the support of the community. It feels like this is a community win.” said Fulmer.
Prieur added, “We are absolutely thrilled for our program, our community, and for Coach Fulmer. We appreciate Natural State Sports for honoring our Paris team and our Coach, Jerry Fulmer.”
More volleyball coverage from The Natural State Sports Network:
Arkansas high school volleyball final 2024 Top 25 poll (Nov. 4)
Natural State Sports prep volleyball best performances (Nov. 4)