Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
High school volleyball state championship preview
Class 4A VALLEY VIEW BLAZERS VS. BROOKLAND BEARCATS
TIME 9 a.m.
VALLEY VIEW
COACH Margie McGee
CONFERENCE 4A-Northeast
RECORD 24-1
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Bauxite 3-0 (25-8, 25-14, 25-11), def. Shiloh Christian 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 2523), def. Mena 3-2 (21-25, 25-6, 22-25, 25-12, 15-6)
BROOKLAND
COACH Nancy Rodriguez
CONFERENCE 4A-Northeast
RECORDS 21-3
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Arkadelphia 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-18), def. Harrison 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-14), def. Fountain Lake 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19)
NOTEWORTHY Valley View will make its 18th consecutive appearance in the state finals and has won the past five (3 in Class 5A, 2 in Class 4A). In all, Valley View has captured 14 championships. … Brookland handed Valley View its only loss this season, 3-2, last week during the 4A-Northeast tournament. The Blazers won both meetings during the regular season. … The Bearcats are in the title game for the second year in a row, losing to Valley View in 2019, and third time since 2016 when they beat Huntsville.
Class 5A JONESBORO HURRICANE VS. GREENWOOD BULLDOGS
TIME 11:30 a.m.
JONESBORO
COACH Craig Cummings
CONFERENCE 5A-East
RECORD 20-1
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Jacksonville 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-17), def. Greenbrier 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-16), def. Benton 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 25-18)
GREENWOOD
COACH Jennifer Golden
CONFERENCE 5A-West
RECORDS 20-2
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Sheridan 3-0 (25-12, 25-6, 25-8), def. Marion 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-23), def. Hot Springs Lakeside 3-0 (25-13, 25-8, 25-13)
NOTEWORTHY Greenwood’s only loss this season was to Class 6A finals participant Fayetteville, 3-1, in the season opener. The Bulldogs have since reeled off 20 victories in a row. … Jonesboro had its 55-match winning streak snapped against Class 4A finalist Valley View, 3-0, on Oct. 3. The Hurricane have dropped just two sets since then. … Greenwood lost 3-2 to Jonesboro in last year’s semifinals and is looking to win its first title since 2017. … The Hurricane are looking for their fifth state championship since 2013.
Class 6A FS SOUTHSIDE MAVERICKS VS. FAYETTEVILLE BULLDOGS
TIME 2 p.m.
FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE
COACH Natalie Throneberry
CONFERENCE 6A-West
RECORD 16-3
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. North Little Rock 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 2516), def. Bentonville 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22)
FAYETTEVILLE
COACH Jessica Phelan
CONFERENCE 6A-West
RECORDS 20-1
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Rogers 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-15), def. Springdale Har-Ber 3-2 (22-25, 29-27, 25-19, 22-25, 15-8)
NOTEWORTHY This will be the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Fayetteville won the first match 3-0 and lost the second one 3-1 during the regular season, then won the third one 3-0 in the conference tournament. … Fayetteville’s only loss this season was to Fort Smith Southside. … Hannah Hogue, Fort Smith Southside’s setter, has committed to the University of Arkansas. … The Mavericks will make their third consecutive appearance in the finals. … Fayetteville’s last state title was 2017. Fort Smith Southside last won a championship in 2013.
Class 2A MANSFIELD TIGERS VS. LAVACA GOLDEN ARROWS
TIME 4:30 p.m.
MANSFIELD
COACH Kaylie Pyles
CONFERENCE 2A-West
RECORD 20-0
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Midland 3-0 (25-8, 25-10, 25-4), def. Flippin 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-7), def. Crowley’s Ridge 3- 0 ( 25- 13, 25- 17, 25-18)
LAVACA
COACH Shannon Todaro
CONFERENCE 2A-West
RECORDS 13-5
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Ridgefield Christian 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-9), def. Conway Christian 3-1 (2514, 11-25, 25-19, 25-14), def. Cotter 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-17)
NOTEWORTHY Lavaca lost both of its regular-season meetings against Mansfield ( 3- 1, 3- 2). … Mansfield won state titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014. … All five of Lavaca’s losses were to teams that played in their respective state tournaments. … Mansfield has dropped only six sets all season and won every frame in this year’s playoffs by at least seven points. … Lavaca’s last championship was in 2008 when the Golden Arrows were members of Class 3A.
Class 3A PARIS EAGLES VS. HACKETT HORNETS TIME 7 p.m.
PARIS
COACH Jordan Devine
CONFERENCE 3A-West
RECORD 16-3
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Rose Bud 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-17), def. Baptist Prep 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-20), def. Hoxie 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-23)
HACKETT
COACH Bridget Freeman CONFERENCE 3A-West RECORD 21-1
STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS def. Dover, forfeit, def. Jessieville 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-14, 25-12), def. Piggott 3-2 (25-15, 25-16, 23-25, 23-25, 15-5) NOTEWORTHY Paris is playing for a state title for the eighth time in the past nine seasons. … Hackett is in its fifth year of competition but is in the final for the second consecutive season. The Hornets won a Class 2A championship last year but moved up to Class 3A this season. … Paris was the last team to beat Hackett, winning 3-2 on Sept. 10. … The Eagles won titles in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. … Hackett senior Rain Vaughn had five kills in the decisive fifth set of the Hornets’ semifinal victory over Piggott on Thursday.