Hornets, Eagles set for rematch in final
VALLEY SPRINGS — It only took a short while to set up a rematch of last year’s Class 3A state volleyball championship match Thursday afternoon.
Hackett and Baptist Prep make quick work of their semifinal opponents to earn the opportunity to play each other Saturday afternoon in Hot Springs for the state title. Hackett didn’t need a full hour to claim a 3-0 sweep (2517, 25-14, 25-15) over Crowley’s Ridge Academy, while Baptist Prep needed a few additional minutes before it took a 3-0 decision over Harding Academy (25-8, 25-11, 25-21).
Both finalists didn’t lose a set in their three state tournament matches en route to their collision course at Bank OZK Arena.
“Well, the girls really have a mission this year,” Hackett Coach Bridget Freeman said. “They honestly have. They have played hard all year to be at this moment.”
Hackett (35-1-2), the 3A-West’s top seed, only trailed once during its match against Crowley’s Ridge Academy (18-4), the top seed from the 3A-Northeast. That came on the opening point of the third game when the Lady Hornets failed on a kill attempt.
After a Crowley’s Ridge Academy miscue tied the game, Michaelyn Freeman used a kill and a block to give Hackett the lead for good. The Lady Hornets then pulled away with an 8-1 run, with Aubree Ruggles’ kill making it 13-5, and the Lady Falcons never recovered.
“We watch film on our opponents and focus on trying to control every aspect of the game,” Freeman said. “So if we know we can control our passing, we have the setting and the hitting we need to take care of the points. That’s what we tried to work on — making sure we were there for the passes and the digs.”
Makenzie Freeman opened the match with back-to-back kills to set the tone, then she did it again to help Hackett pull out to a 13-7 cushion in the first game, which ended with Michaelyn Freeman hitting an ace. The two Freemans also contributed with points in Game 2 as the Lady Hornets built a 13-4 cushion.
Makenzie Freeman had 14 kills, 7 digs and 2 aces while Michaelyn Freeman contributed 10 kills, 11 digs and 3 aces for Hackett, which is making its fifth straight appearance in the state championship. Prairie Vaughn added 29 assists, while Lily Oxford had 17 digs.
BAPTIST PREP 3, HARDING ACADEMY 0
Baptist Prep’s power throughout the match was just too much for Harding Academy as the Lady Eagles dominated en route to a 25-8, 25-11, 25-21 win.
“They like to hit the ball hard,” Baptist Prep Coach Krista Spoon said. “Sometimes I have to tell [them] we have to mix it up a little bit. But they like to hit the ball hard, which is fine. That’s the kill that everyone wants.”
Abby Renshaw had three kills and an ace, while Ryan Rusher had two early kills to help Baptist Prep (23-2), the 3A-Central’s top seed, take an earn 15-4 lead in Game 1. The Lady Eagles then broke a 6-6 tie in Game 2 with Rusher’s back-to-back kills as part of seven unanswered points, then they closed out that game by scoring 9 of the last 10 points.
Harding Academy (23-5), the 3A-Northwest’s top seed, did make things interesting in Game 3, turning a 13-5 deficit into a 15-14 lead after Ace Ellis delivered back-to-back aces. The Lady Wildcats led 18-17 after Mileigh Harlow’s block, but Baptist Prep tied it with a kill by Renshaw and took the lead when Harding Academy failed on two straight kill attempts.
“I think it’s funny because we’ve played really, really good teams this year, and we never got rattled,” Spoon said. “That might have been the first moment. I think it was because they knew what was on the line, so I’m hoping to get that fixed by Saturday.”