Familiar faces in state volleyball finals

A Craighead County volleyball team with the initials V V annually spends the last week of October in the Valley of the Vapors.

Valley View seeks its seventh consecutive state title and 17th overall in the overall championships today at Bank OZK Arena. In a rematch of last year's Class 4A final, the Lady Blazers face cross-county rival Brookland at 1 p.m.

Action begins at 11 a.m. with another 2020 rewind, Hackett meeting Paris for the Class 3A crown after beating the Lady Eagles last year. The Lady Hornets won the 2019 Class 2A title before moving up last year. Paris won Class 3A four straight years (2015-2018) during a string of seven straight finals appearances.

Benton and Little Rock Christian play in the Class 5A final at 3 p.m., after which comes possibly the marquee match of the day, Fayetteville vs. Springdale Har-Ber in Class 6A. The 7 p.m. finale matches old pro Mansfield against Life Way Christian in Class 2A.

From the hotbed of volleyball that is northeast Arkansas, Valley View surpassed cross-county rival Jonesboro as the state's winningest volleyball program last year. Jonesboro lost to Greenwood in the Class 6A final when going for its 15th state championship in what proved the final match for Lady Hurricane coach Craig Cummings.

Coach Margie McGee has another powerhouse team (34-3) at Valley View, which won its first state title in 2003. The Lady Blazers have won championships in three classifications, the last three in Class 4A after three straight in Class 5A. Valley View has eight straight wins since an Oct. 9 loss to Benton, its other defeats coming to Fort Smith Northside and Briarcrest Christian of Eads, Tenn. The Lady Blazers beat Pea Ridge, Batesville Southside and Shiloh Christian in the state tournament.

Brookland has equally strong tradition, its last of three state titles coming in 2016. The Lady Bearcats (25-10) have lost three times to 4A-Northeast rival Valley View, beating Farmington, Mena and Harrison in the state tournament.

Hackett (26-2-3) beat Paris (23-5) twice in the regular season, the Lady Eagles winning the last matchup 3-2 Oct. 21. Hackett won 18 straight with three 1-1 tournament ties before an Oct. 2 loss to Northside.

The Lady Hornets beat Jessieville, Hoxie and Baptist in the state tournament; Paris defeated Mayflower, Atkins and Little Rock Episcopal.

Har-Ber (33-1) takes on defending champion and 6A-West rival Fayetteville (31-4) for the third time, the Lady Wildcats in their first final since 2017. Losing only to Liberty (Mo.) North, Har-Ber swept every other opponent 3-0 except Fayetteville, which took both matches to five games. Coach Cassie Loyd's team seeks the program's first state title after losing in the semifinals the last three years.

"It's an amazing feeling," Loyd said after Thursday's semifinal win over Fort Smith Southside. "This group has been working so hard for so long on the court and in the weight room. No one really understands the work they've been putting in to get to this point."

Fayeteville turned back Conway 3-1 in the other semifinal, the Lady Bulldogs downing Southside for last year's crown. Junior Kennedy Phelan served up 10 consecutive points against Conway; Phelan has committed to Florida State, whose coach, Chris Poole, coached her mother, Fayetteville coach Jessica Phelan, at Arkansas.

Benton, seeking its first state title since 2009, looks to pay back Little Rock Christian for a late-season defeat after beating the Lady Warriors twice. Senior Laci Bohannan, an Arkansas State commit, sparked Benton (26-4) to win the last three sets against host Marion in the semifinals. Christian (34-3-1) won a 15-8 fifth set against Greenbrier to get a chance for its first state title.

Mansfield beat Lavaca last year for its first Class 2A title and fifth overall, defeating newcomer Thaden in the semifinals Thursday. Centerton-based Life Way Christian (Benton County) downed Lavaca in the semifinals.

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