All-NWA Media Volleyball: Fayetteville Makes Major Leap Under Phelan

FAYETTEVILLE -- Jessica Phelan saw the potential in her Fayetteville volleyball team even before the matches began.

The only question was would the talented roster blend together to make a successful season on the court.

Despite youth and inexperience at many positions, the expectations and goals were sky high for the Lady Bulldogs. But meeting those goals were never a given.

Not only did Fayetteville return to prominence -- after a rebuilding season in 2013 -- they went even farther than expected. Playing their best volleyball at the end of the year, the Lady'Dogs pushed through the tough competition at the Class 7A tournament to advance to the state finals, finishing one game short of a championship.

From 12 wins in 2013 to a state runner-up finish this season, Phelan put Fayetteville right back among the top programs in the state. And for her efforts, she is the All-NWA Media Volleyball Coach of the Year.

"It was a process for sure," Phelan said. "In August it was all new and as a coach I knew less about this team than in any other season than I ever have. I knew we had some great pieces but it was a work in progress. We had some injuries, several lineup changes and I think they were very resilient through all that.

"I also think the way they bounced back from some tough losses. We felt like this was a team that was going to be better in October than September. We had two tough losses to (Fort Smith) Southside and Bentonville, but they really stayed the course to be able to compete with those teams."

Fayetteville returned several key components from the prior season, in seniors Olivia Thomas, Ellie Breden and Nikki Hayes and junior Hadley Spresser. The Lady Bulldogs also welcomed in a strong group of newcomers, led by freshmen Haley Warner and Ella May Powell, and sophomores Faith Waitsman, Abbie Kathol and Olivia Wales.

With a mix of so many fresh faces teaming with the returning Lady'Dogs, Phelan knew to be patient.

"They made great progress all year," Phelan said. "That was a testament to the leadership of the upperclassmen. They all bought into the team aspect this year and that allowed us to be in a position where individual players could make a lot of progress.

"Faith Waitsman made a lot of progress this year. Olivia Wales worked her way into the lineup. So they were able to adjust their games and adjust to that 7A-West competition."

Losses to Fort Smith Southside and Bentonville in the 7A-West regular season landed Fayetteville as the No. 3 seed at the Class 7A state tournament. But the Lady'Dogs rallied in the postseason, defeating Bryant, North Little Rock and Southside in a thrilling five-set match to reach the finals.

The wins all came on Fayetteville's home court, as the tournament was held at Bulldog Arena, making the playoff run all that more sweet for Phelan and her Lady'Purple'Dogs.

"To see their state tournament run, it was a great thing to see it all come together," Phelan said. "That was special."

Fayetteville finished 23-12-2 after a close five-set loss to Bentonville in the finals. Even the loss to the Lady Tigers showed how far Phelan had brought her team, as the two previous losses to Bentonville had been in straight sets.

"She definitely knows what she talks about out there and she handles herself so well," Powell said, of Phelan. "She's different from any of the coaches I've ever had. The way she gets things across, she doesn't show her emotions and she's really calm.

"But she knows which players need that extra push and which ones need to be the leaders."

While the final loss always hurts, Phelan is excited about what the future holds at Fayetteville. With the Lady Bulldogs perhaps one step ahead of schedule this season, she knows big things await this team in the years to come.

"We felt like we were playing really well at the end of the season," Phelan said. "We thought, gosh, what if we had two more weeks in the season? Because we were pumped. We've got so many of them returning and we're excited for the offseason and looking forward to next year."

Sports on 12/25/2014