By Jeff Halpern | Pictures by Tommy Land 

HOT SPRINGS — All season lengthy, the Fayetteville Girl Bulldogs performed with the goal on their again because the staff to beat.

Saturday night time, the No. 1 ranked Girl Bulldogs (27-2) fulfilled the aim of successful their third consecutive Class 6A state championship with a 25-19, 25-21, 25-18 victory over No. 6 Fort Smith Southside (22-7) at Financial institution Ozk Area.

“These youngsters, I can’t think about their season ending another method,” stated Fayetteville head coach Jessica Phelan. “The relationships these gamers have fashioned extends nicely past volleyball. My greatest takeaway is that they at all times put staff over me. They at all times needed to win for one another.”

Kennedy Phelan was named state event MVP for the second consecutive yr after accumulating 7 kills, 37 assists and 18 digs. Brooke Rockwell had 17 kills with 13 digs. Reagan Harp had 10 kills and eight digs. Ashley Ruff had 22 digs.

“Kennedy has at all times had an ideal group of hitters and loads of choices,” Jessica Phelan stated. “I do know lots of people take a look at the setter because the one who leads and tonight, we had been a composed group.”

Kennedy Phelan begins her subsequent volleyball chapter at Florida State.

“To complete this fashion with my mother and my finest mates is an unimaginable feeling,” stated Kennedy Phelan.

Fayetteville, which didn’t drop a set in opposition to in-state competitors all yr, by no means trailed within the first sport. Main 12-9 with Rockwell serving, the Girl Bulldogs scored 4 consecutive factors with Libby LIndsey, Madeline Lafata getting kills with two assault errors by Southside’s Lydia Pitts and Meg Lux to make it 16-9. Kills by Lafata and Rockwell helped lengthen the result in 18-10.

Within the second set, Fayetteville discovered itself down 12-9 earlier than scoring 5 of the following 7 factors to tie the sport at 14-14. Phelan had two kills throughout that stretch whereas Rockwell and Lindsey additionally had one kill throughout that span. The sport went backwards and forwards and with Southside main 18-17, Felicity Suggs’ serve went lengthy tying the sport at 18-18. Reagan Harp had a kill to place the Girl Bulldogs up for good at 19-18.

Southside overcame a 5-1 deficit within the third sport to tie it at 6-6 with a kills by Tinsley Ferguson, Rayleigh Twist and Lydia Pitts. The sport was tied at 10-10 earlier than Fayetteville began to realize management. Rockwell had a kill to interrupt the tie. Linsey had a block to make it 12-10. Phelan had a kill to make it 13-10 as Fayetteville regularly pulled away.

“Southside did an ideal job tonight and compelled us to keep up our composure,” stated Jessica Phelan.

Southside was led by Pitts, who had 11 kills. Gabriella DuPree and 6 kills and 13 digs. Sophie Neihouse had 9 kills. Freeman had 13 digs and Mileah Neal had 10 digs.

“Southside is a scrappy bunch that makes you earn all the things,” stated Kennedy Phelan.

Southside head coach Natalie Throneberry, whose staff misplaced to Fayetteville thrice this season, was upbeat following the loss.

“I can’t be extra happy with our children tonight,” stated Throneberry. “We had 5 sophomores enjoying usually all yr and the progress these youngsters made, makes me really feel excellent about them.

“I inform this staff they took on a university staff [Fayetteville has five players who have committed to playing at the NCAA Division-I level] and gave them all the things that they had.”