FORT SMITH -- For most of her volleyball career, there was always one constant for Hannah Holland ... she always knew where to find her parents, Kendra and Brian Holland.
They were never far from the court.
"My parents are always at my game, no matter if we're at home or on the road," Holland said.
That included an 11-hour, 700-mile trip to Larado, Texas, on the Mexico border.
"I understand why they go to every game, but I never thought they would come 14 hours to watch a 1½- to 2-hour volleyball game."
Holland is in the midst of completing her University of Arkansas at Fort Smith volleyball journey -- one she envisioned at a young age.
"Playing in college is something I wanted to do since middle school," she said. "I knew I wanted to go to UAFS, and I knew I wanted to play for coach [Jane] Sargent. I have met some of the greatest people along the way -- people I will have friendships with long after I've graduated."
Despite Wednesday's 3-0 sweep of the University of Texas at Tyler, the Lady Lions started the weekend without any postseason guarantees. The Lady Lions were to face Angelo State and Texas Permian Basin on Friday and Saturday.
"It kind of makes me sad in a way," Holland said. "I want to keep getting records high, but I know my time is running out. Coming into UAFS, I never thought about records; I just wanted to do my best."
Holland had six kills and added to her school record for aces with three more in Wednesday's win over UT-Tyler, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
UAFS (13-12, 5-7) has had trouble sustaining momentum.
"We've lost some games we shouldn't have lost, and we've won a few we shouldn't have won," Holland said. "We really need to win out if we want to go the [conference] tournament."
Holland, who had 913 kills during her prep career at Fort Smith Southside, broke Morgan Banner's 2009 school record for aces (91) with plenty to spar. With at least four games remaining, she has 105 career aces.
Ennis drills 8 PATs
Grant Ennis (Greenwood) made all eight of his PAT kicks in Harding University's win over the University of Arkansas-Monticello.
The Bison needed them all, too.
Ennis and the Bison held on for a wild 56-43 win in Great American Conference action.
Ennis also had six of his nine kickoffs land in the end zone for touchbacks. He's had 12 touchbacks this season for a 56.4 ratio.
He's also 36-of-37 on PAT kicks this season and is second (45) in team scoring. Ennis has also moved into third place in all-time scoring with 259 points.
Harding (6-2) hosted Northeastern Oklahoma on Saturday.
Gleason fires three TD passes
Braden Gleason (Muldrow) threw three short touchdown passes to lead Emporia State to its fourth straight win recently -- a 24-21 win over Missouri Southern.
Gleason, who has passed for 2,404 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, completed 24-of-31 passes for 211 yards. He has thrown but one interception this season.
The former Muldrow star helped rally the Hornets from a 14-3 deficit with a pair of 3-yard TD passes to Tyler Kahmann and Jaylen Varner to put the visitors ahead 17-14. Gleason threw a go-ahead TD pass to Varner with six minutes left in the game.
EPS (6-2) were to host Fort Hays State on Saturday.
Castillow records 27 digs
Lexi Castillow (Greenwood) had 27 digs in Thursday's 3-0 loss to nationally ranked Harding University.
Castillow and the Ouachita Baptist Lady Tigers dropped the decision, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22, to fall to 16-11 overall and 8-6 in the GAC.
The Tigers close out the regular season this week against Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas.
Castillow leads the Lady Tigers with 505 digs (5.67 digs per set). She has 2,219 career digs, spanning five seasons.
Castillow is currently third all-time in career digs with 1,955 digs behind Becky Cunningham (2,429) and Allison Frizzell (2,226).
Presley, Hendrix earn big win
Camryn Presley (Greenwood) and the Hendrix Lady Warriors closed out the regular season with a big win over Centre on Senior Day.
Unfortunately, the Lady Warriors (10-12, 5-9) dropped a key Southern Athletic Association match to 9-14, 2-12 Rhodes on Tuesday night.
Presley did her part. She had 17 kills and 14 digs in the team's 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19 loss to Rhodes. Hendrix had earlier beaten the Linx, 25-9, 25-22, 25-15 back on Sept. 21.
Presley, a junior, helped her senior teammates go out with a home win by collecting a double-double (14 kills and 12 digs) in the team's 26-24, 25-18, 17-25, 25-18 upset of Centre.
The SAA conference tournament starts this week.
Koeth places eighth at XC meet
Taylor Koeth (Greenwood) and Ouachita Baptist finished seventh in the team standings at the DBU Old Glory Gallup in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Koeth, a Greenwood native, finished eighth individually with a time of 18:18.5. Koeth's former Greenwood teammate, Macie Cash, was 29th overall with a time of 18:59.8.
Koeth and the Lady Tigers will next compete at the Great American Conference championship Nov. 5 at Shawnee, Okla. The NCAA regionals are Nov. 19 in Joplin, Mo.
Third-And-Long
Slate Stanton (Northside) averaged 58.3 during his six kickoffs in Hendrix University's 48-21 rout of Sewanee, Tenn. ... Cejay Mann (Alma) started the second phase of his collegiate basketball career Friday in Bartlesville, Okla. with a pair of University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma men's games between Calvery Bible College and Oklahoma Wesleyan. Mann transferred to USAO from Arkansas Tech. His dad, Codey, is the head girls coach at Alma High School. ... Larkin Luke (Greenwood) had three kills and two digs in Henderson State's 3-0 loss to Harding University Thursday. ... University of the Ozark's Daniel Sanderson (Clarksville) and Duban Figueroa (Northside) and Benjamine Stormes (Southside) competed Saturday in the Men's American Southwest Conference Championships 8K Race at Clarksville High School. ... McKenzi Stidman (Waldron), Dariana Mendez-Hernandez (Southside) and Mansfield twins Faith and Hope Rainwater will compete at the Region II Championship Saturday at Mena's Lions Club Disc Golf Course. Former Northside standout Tyreek Gilkey will compete for the men. ... OBU offensive lineman Hunter Jackson (Ozark) and Zac Henson (Alma) helped pave the way for the No. 3 Tigers' 63-31 win over Southern Arkansas. OBU churned out 377 yards rushing (519 total) in the team's victory. ... Olivia Melton (Southside) had five kills and 10 digs in Indian River State College's 3-1 loss to South Florida last week. The Lady Pioneers (5-21) have dropped nine straight matches.
Castillow
Presley
Koeth
Henson
Melton
Hannah Holland (8) of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith passes, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, during the first set of the Lady Lions’ 3-2 loss to Oklahoma Christian at the UAFS Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith. Visit nwaonline.com/220925Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Hannah Holland (8) of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith spikes the ball past Oklahoma Christian’s Kelsie Schiefelbein (4) and Sydney Collins (22), Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, during the fourth set of the Lady Lions’ 3-2 loss at the UAFS Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith. Visit nwaonline.com/220925Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Hannah Holland (8) and Hannah Watkins (7) of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith attempt to block Oklahoma Christian’s Peighton Serda (1), Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, during the fourth set of the Lady Lions’ 3-2 loss at the UAFS Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith. Visit nwaonline.com/220925Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Hannah Holland (8) of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith attempts to block Oklahoma Christian’s Morgan Demuth (8), Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, during the fourth set of the Lady Lions’ 3-2 loss at the UAFS Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith. Visit nwaonline.com/220925Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Gilkey