SPRINGDALE — Shiloh Christian volleyball coach Shyrah Perry welcomed the move to Class 5A this season.
The second-year Lady Saints coach prepared her players for the grind of playing in a higher classification by creating a tough nonconference schedule to get them ready to face bigger, deeper competition once league play started.
The plan worked to perfection as the Lady Saints (25-6) won the 5A-West Conference title and a No. 1 seed in the Class 5A State Volleyball Tournament, which starts today at Alma. Shiloh will open against Sylvan Hills, the No. 4 seed from the 5A-Central.
“We knew it would be a challenge, but the girls have worked extremely hard to be in this position,” Perry said. “The 5A-West is so tough with so many good teams, we had to be at our best every night.”
Perry admits that often times her team is physically outmatched against taller teams. But the Lady Saints use their quickness and scrappy play to counter that, diving on the floor and being strong on the defensive end of the court.
While the Lady Saints aren’t blessed with an overabundance of height at the net, junior Brittany Butler (5-foot-10) gives Shiloh a tough middle blocker and powerful hitter.
Butler leads the team in blocks with 128 and has averaged four kills per game with 207 for the season.
“We’re excited to see how we do at state,” Butler said. “I think the schedule we’ve played has prepared us for the kinds of teams we’ll see at state. We’ve played some really good teams in conference.”
Butler is a left-hander, which is often difficult for teams to prepare for since most players hit right-handed. She has worked through a back injury to become a force at the net for Shiloh. Her back injury has not allowed her to serve, a part of her game she said she will work on for next season.
While Butler has been a dominant hitter and blocker, fellow junior Lauren Brown has been one of the top all-around players for Shiloh. She leads the team with 33 aces and has 321 assists.
“Lauren plays a lot of roles for us,” Perry said. “She does everything extremely well.”
The Lady Saints have a mix of seniors and underclassmen, which bodes well for not only this season, but the future. The team proved quickly that it can compete in a higher classification.
“I am extremely proud of the fight the girls have put in to play against some very strong 5A teams,” Perry said. “Winning the 5A-West is a very big honor for us. We have had to play our best against every team.”
Based in previous years, the conference has competed extremely well in the state tournament. Eleven of the past 12 state champions have come from the 5A-West, including last year’s champion Greenwood. Alma also reached the semifinals last season.
The state tournament will run through Thursday night’s semifinals, and the Class 5A state championship match will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday at Valley View.