Volleyball state championships: CLASS 6A

Jonesboro finally beats Marion, wins 12th state title

Jonesboro players celebrate after the winning the final point to claim the Class 6A volleyball state championship against Marion on Saturday in Hot Springs. Jonesboro had lost all three of its matches against Marion this season.
Jonesboro players celebrate after the winning the final point to claim the Class 6A volleyball state championship against Marion on Saturday in Hot Springs. Jonesboro had lost all three of its matches against Marion this season.

JONESBORO 3, MARION 0

HOT SPRINGS -- Samantha Brandt had been waiting a long time for this.

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Jonesboro lost three previous matches to Marion this season, including one just seven days prior to Saturday’s Class 6A state volleyball final. But the Lady Hurricane came out strong when it mattered most in the title game and beat the Lady Patriots 25-14, 28-26, 25-23 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs.

Brandt, a 5-4 senior setter, handed out 42 assists as Jonesboro upset Marion 3-0 in the 6A volleyball state championship match at the Bank of the Ozarks Arena on Saturday.

"Sam Brandt did the job," Jonesboro Coach Craig Cummings said. "She was the MVP, no doubt."

Jonesboro (27-7) had dropped three matches to the Lady Patriots this season, including one just seven days prior to Saturday. But the Lady Hurricane came out strong in the final meeting, winning 25-14, 28-26, 25-23.

"We wanted this so bad," Brandt said. "We've been playing them ever since I was in the seventh grade, and I had never been on a team that had beaten them. My first time and it happens to be in the state championship. That's special."

Freshmen Mikayla Johnson and Clara Parker combined for 24 kills and nine blocks as Jonesboro earned its 12th state volleyball championship, the most by an Arkansas high school.

"They were absolutely marvelous," Cummings said. "Especially Mikayla, with some big blocks and kills for us. She came on huge. She didn't have much of an impact early in the [state tournament], but she did come on against Greenwood in the semifinals. So I'm thinking she's starting to feel her oats a little bit more. ... Clara Parker also did a great job, especially with the burden we put on her as an outside hitter."

Johnson finished with 15 kills and five blocks. Parker had nine kills and made four blocks.

"They are incredible," Brandt said of her freshman teammates. "They're definitely going D-I in a few years. They are so good. Honestly, they carried this team."

Marion (33-4) suffered its first 3-0 loss of the season.

"We didn't play well. We made too many errors," Marion Coach Lisa Beasley said. "This was a very close group, and I think our emotions got the best of us. It's really not easy facing someone four times."

Senior outside hitter Annalee Parker led the Lady Patriots with 11 kills. Senior Sara Betts finished with nine kills and senior Ally Bramucci had six kills and three aces.

Saturday's second game took its toll on the Lady Patriots, who had four chances to tie the match at one game each.

"That was huge," Beasley said. "We had multiple opportunities to tie it up. We had several opportunities to win the third game. We just didn't do it."

"Against us, Marion had not been in that position," Cummings said of taking the 2-0 advantage. "We knew it could happen, but we had to play steady and play for the next point. The next point is the only thing that matters."

Sophomore outside hitter Cameron Hafner added nine kills for Jonesboro, while senior outside hitter Kandance Pointer had seven. Junior Magan Wicker led the Lady Hurricane in digs with 21, while Pointer added 16 and sophomore Bailey Tagupa had 13, including two during the final moments of the second game.

CLASS 5A

VALLEY VIEW 3,

PARAGOULD 0

Canaan Richardson and the Lady Blazers came prepared.

Richardson, Valley View’s 5-8 senior captain and right-side outside hitter, had six kills as the Lady Blazers (37-4-1) easily dispatched the Lady Rams 25-13, 25-14, 25-18 in a 60-minute match for the Class 5A state title.

“It seems like she’s worn that No. 6 forever,” Valley View Coach Margie McGee said of Richardson, the tournament’s MVP. “She’s played for us since she was a freshman. Every single year she’s been on that court and she’s been a dominant offensive threat. She really showed her leadership this year.”

The victory gave the Lady Blazers their 11th state title, all of them coming since 2003. Valley View has won six state titles in the past seven years, losing only to Paragould in the championship match two years ago.

Paragould (22-14) won the first three points of the match, but Valley View took control.

“We played really good defense,” Richardson said. “Our blocking was excellent. We really focused on blocking cross court and that led to the good defensive play.”

Junior outside hitter Kendal Rees led Valley View with 10 kills. Sophomore Abbigail McGee had 11 assists and 10 digs. Junior outside hitter Callie Weaver made 11 digs. Elizabeth Crist, a 6-2 junior, had 7 kills and sophomore Emily Grace Calhoon picked up 3 kills and 3 blocks.

“We were very relaxed,” said Mc-Gee, whose team was good on 71 of 73 service attempts. “Before the match they played a country song that all of our girls knew the words to. I could tell by the way we were acting that we were ready and relaxed to play. I can’t say enough about them. They know there’s a tradition with this program and they wanted to go after that.”

Sophomore middle hitter Zoey Beasley led Paragould with nine kills while junior middle blocker Anna Quinn added seven kills.

CLASS 4A

BROOKLAND 3, HUNTSVILLE 1

Freshman Loren Payne made 16 kills and blocked three shots as the Lady Bearcats (26-9-1) held off the upstart Lady Eagles (22-14-1) for the Class 4A state title.

Huntsville, a No. 3 seed entering the state tournament, absorbed a 25-7 loss in the second game and appeared ready for an early exit, but the Lady Eagles forced a fourth game before taking the loss.

Brookland won 25-19, 25-7, 18-25, 25-22.

MVP Sydney Stephenson had seven kills and four blocks for Brookland, which won its third state title and its first since 2007.

“Stephenson has been our leader all year,” Brookland Coach Nancy Rodriguez said of the 5-4 middle hitter. “She’s a silent, hidden leader of the team. Everybody feeds off of her.”

Huntsville’s 5-9 senior middle blocker Delanie Tipton led her team with 16 kills, 4 aces and 10 digs. Junior outside hitter Maddie Thompson also had 16 kills with eight digs. Senior Darian Sulfridge led the Lady Eagles in assists with 24.

Huntsville jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first game but could not continue its momentum.

“Losing that first set kind of took the wind out of our sails,” Huntsville Coach Angie Baker said. “Brookland found some confidence … and we knew they would. … After that second set, I told our girls it would be easy to fold our tents and go home, but I told them in our huddle that’s not what we came for and that’s not who we’ve been. I told them we had to play hard for every point the rest of the way and I’m proud of them for doing that.”

Senior setter Maddie Archer put all 21 of her serves in play for Brookland. She also had two aces and made 21 assists. Junior Jacy Harris had 19 assists and 16 digs. Senior middle hitter Erica Warren added eight kills while junior Taylor Ross posted seven kills.

“This is the most unselfish team I’ve ever had,” Rodriguez said. “They don’t care who gets the points or even who gets to play. They just want to win.”

CLASS 3A

PARIS 3,

CONWAY CHRISTIAN 1

Trailing 14-6 in the fourth game, Paris Coach Wes Davis was confident his team would post a comeback.

He was right.

Senior outside hitter Lycia Peevy pounded out 30 kills as Paris earned a 27-29, 25-15, 25-23, 26-24 victory over Conway Christian in the Class 3A state championship game.

“We came back against Mena trailing 23-15 and won that game,” Davis said. “We came back in four to win that one. I reminded them of that and I knew good things would happen if we cleaned our game up. We did not play very well.”

Paris (27-5) claimed its second consecutive title.

Peevy had 10 kills in the fourth game as Paris held off a game-point at 24-23.

“We just focused and started doing what we had to do,” the 6-0 Peevy said. “We kept fighting.”

“Four years in the state tournament with her,” Davis said of Peevy. “She’s had an amazing career for me. That’s a girl you’re going to miss. She’s a difference maker and the leadership she has shown has been amazing. In the past she would just quietly sit in the background and do her job, but there was no way Lycia Peevy was going to let us lose that ballgame.”

Sophomore Ryliegh Hardwicke added 14 kills and junior Kylie Morris had 10 kills and served four aces. Senior setter Michaela Knoles handed out 64 assists.

Senior Madelyn Black paced Conway Christian (25-2) with 16 kills and six aces. Senior Adrianna Ferrand led Conway Christian with 20 kills. Junior Jessica Anderson served four aces.

Sports on 10/30/2016

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