Arkansas

Final Arkansas high school volleyball Top 25 rankings of 2023

Published

1 year ago

August 13, 2024

Final Arkansas high school volleyball Top 25 rankings of 2023

The 2024 Arkansas high school volleyball season is upon us. Next week we will release the preseason Top 25 rankings. In the meantime, here are last season’s final Top 25 rankings.

NOTE: Records reflect the team’s overall record.

1. Fayetteville (25–8)

Previous rank: No. 2

Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Conway; def. Bryant 3-1; def. No. 19 Cabot 3-0; def. No. 5 Conway 3-2 for state championship

COMMENT: New group of Lady Bulldogs showed it was determined to join the previous three classes and show it was capable of winning a state championship and they did it in one that went down to the wire.

2. Conway (31-5)

Previous rank: No. 5

Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Conway; def. No. 9 Springdale Har-Ber 3-0; def. No. 3 Fort Smith Southside 3-1; lost to No. 2 Fayetteville 3-2

COMMENT: Lady Wampus Cats make first trip to state finals since 2018 and take Fayetteville down to the wire. They also won 19 consecutive matches and went 2-1 against 5A champion Benton and had victories against 5A runner-up Greenwood and 4A runner-up Shiloh Christian.

3. Baptist Prep (37-2-1)

Previous rank: No. 6

Last week: Class 3A state tournament at Valley Springs; def. Salem 3-0; def. Paris 3-0; def. Harding Academy 3-0; def. No. 1 Hackett 3-0 for state championship

COMMENT: Lady Eagles went 1-1 vs. 5A champion Benton, defeated 5A runner-up Greenwood and 4A runner-up Shiloh Christian and went 8-1 against teams in Classes 5A and 6A.

4. Hackett (38-2-2)

Previous rank: No. 1

Last week: Class 3A state tournament at Valley Springs; def Manila 3-0; def. Central Arkansas Christian 3-0; def. Crowley’s Ridge Academy 3-0; lost to No. 6 Baptist Prep 3-0

COMMENT: Hackett went 10-1-2 in teams in higher classes including wins over 6A semifinalist Fort Smith Southside and 5A semifinalist Mount St. Mary and 4A runner-up Shiloh Christian. Three consecutive losses in the state championship match haven’t left Hackett head coach Bridgett Freeman discouraged. As long as she gets a shot to get back to the state championship, she’s said she’ll keep taking her chances.

5. Benton (30-5)

Previous rank: No. 7

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Siloam Springs 3-0; def. No. 18 Paragould 3-0; def. No. 14 Harrison 3-0; def. No. 15 Greenwood 3-2 for state championship

COMMENT: Isabella Lagemann joins her older sister Abigail Lagemann as state tournament MVP. Lady Panthers went 6-3 against teams that reached the state finals.

6. Fort Smith Southside (26-6)

Previous rank: No. 4

Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Conway; def. Little Rock Central 3-0; lost to No. 5 Conway 3-1

COMMENT: Lady Mavericks followed state runner-up season with a trip to the semifinals and had victories against 5A champion Benton, 5A runner-up Greenwood and 4A runner-up Shiloh Christian.

7. Brookland (34-4-1)

Previous rank: No. 8

Last week: Class 4A state tournament at Shiloh Christian; def. Bauxite 3-0; def. Farmington 3-0; vs. Gravette; def. No. 11 Shiloh Christian 3-0 for state championship

COMMENT Brookland head coach Nancy Rodriguez wanted to challenge her team and she did as the Lady Bearcats went 9-3 against teams in Classes 5A and 6A and that doesn’t include a loss to Collierville, Tenn. which went 38-7.

8. Greenwood (23-11)

Previous rank: No. 15

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. No. 17 Sheridan 3-1; def. No. 10 Marion 3-0; def. No. 20 Mount St. Mary 3-0; lost to No. 7 Benton 3-2

COMMENT: A season that featured losses to 6A champion Fayetteville, 6A finalist Conway, 6A semifinalist Fort Smith Southside and 3A champion Baptist Prep ended in a five-set loss in the championship match.

9. Hot Springs Lakeside MTXE (24-6-2)

Previous rank: No. 4

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Russellville 3-1; lost to No. 20 Mount St. Mary 3-2

COMMENT Lady Rams were one of two teams to beat Hackett, knocked off Class 5A state champion Benton, 4A champion Brookland and shared 5A-South Conference title.

10. Mansfield (35-2-1)

Previous rank: No. 13

Last week: Class 2A state tournament at Quitman; def. Cedar Ridge 3-0; vs. Yellville-Summit 3-0; def. Life Way Christian 3-0; def. No. 23 Conway Christian 3-0 for state championship

COMMENT: Alyson Edwards repeats as state tournament MVP and was the only player to play in all four state championship matches. Only blemishes on the record were a loss to Hackett in the Alma Invitational a tie to Springdale Har-Ber and loss to Paris in the Paris Invitational.

11. Shiloh Christian (29-7)

Previous rank: No. 11

Last week: Class 4A state tournament at Shiloh Christian; def. Lonoke 3-0; def. Wynne 3-2; vs. Fountain Lake 3-0; lost to No. 8 Brookland 3-0

COMMENT: Lady Saints finish runner-up again but went 9-4 against teams in Classes 5A and 6A.

12. Cabot (19-11)

Previous rank: No. 19

Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Conway; def. No. 16 Bentonville 3-1; lost to No. 2 Fayetteville 3-0

COMMENT: Lady Panthers reached the semifinals for the second consecutive year. Seven of their losses came to teams that reached the state finals.

13. Harrison (21-6)

Previous rank: No. 14

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Lake Hamilton 3-0; def. No. 12 Valley View 3-2; lost to No. 7 Benton 3-0

COMMENT: Lady Goblins won the 5A-West, split with 5A runner-up Greenwood and beat 5A-East Champion Marion. Reese Rickets (447 kills) was a fun player to watch.

14. Mount St. Mary (21-10-1)

Previous rank: No. 20

This week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Batesville 3-0; def. No. 4 Hot Springs Lakeside MTXE 3-2; lost to No. 15 Greenwood 3-0

COMMENT: Belles recovered from a late-season slump to reach the semifinals the second consecutive year.

15. Springdale Har-Ber (20-12)

Previous rank: No. 9

Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Conway; def. North Little Rock 3-0; lost to No. 5 Conway 3-0

COMMENT: Lady Wildcats recovered from six-game losing streak in midseason that included three losses to teams in Oklahoma to end Fayetteville’s 38-match winning streak against in-state opponents.

16. Marion (24-7-1)

Previous rank: No. 10

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Sylvan Hills 3-0; lost to No. 15 Greenwood 3-0

COMMENT: Lady Patriots went undefeated against 5A-East, swept Valley View and tied Hackett at the Hot Springs Lakeside Tournament.

17. Valley View (25-9)

Previous rank: No. 12

This week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Vilonia 3-0; lost to No. 14 Harrison 3-2

COMMENT: First time since 2002 Valley View failed to reach the state finals and the first time since 2001 it didn’t reach the semifinals.

18. Bentonville (19-15)

Previous rank: No. 16

Last week: Class 6A state tournament at Conway; def. Jonesboro 3-0; lost to No. 19 Cabot 3-1

COMMENT: Lady Tiger loved to challenge themselves against out-of-state competition as eight of their losses came to teams in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas with a combined 187-65 record.

19. Paragould (23-8)

Previous rank: No. 18

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; def. Little Rock Christian Academy 3-1; lost to No. 7 Benton 3-0

COMMENT: All eyes for the next three years will be on Ava Beasley (418 kills, 51 aces, 29 blocks, 323 digs, 278 assists), who dazzled a freshman. Head coach Reed Fogleman said if rules allowed it, she would have used her as seventh grader.

20. Sheridan (25-5)

Previous rank: No. 17

Last week: Class 5A state tournament at Searcy; lost to No. 15 Greenwood 3-1

COMMENT Sheridan won its own tournament, the Lonoke Tournament and finished third in the 5A-South.

21. Conway Christian (26-2-1)

Previous rank: No. 23

Last week: Class 2A state tournament at Quitman; def. Magnet Cove 3-2; def. Thaden 3-1; def. No. 24 Lavaca 3-2; lost to No. 13 Mansfield

COMMENT: Kobie McKnight’s first year at Conway Christian ended in the state championship. Both losses came to Mansfield and the tie with Mena at the Paris Invitational.

22. Gravette (23-3)

Previous rank: Not ranked

Last week: Class 4A state tournament at Shiloh Christian: def. Pulaski Academy 3-1; def. No. 21 Mena 3-0; lost to No. 8 Brookland 3-0.

COMMENT: Semifinal trip earns Lady Lions appearance in rankings.

23. Mena (21-6-1)

Previous rank: No. 21

Last week: Class 4A state tournament at Shiloh Christian; def. Batesville Southside 3-2; lost to Gravette 3-0

COMMENT: Mena wins conference title for second consecutive year.

24. Lavaca (22-12–1)

Previous rank: No. 24

This week: Class 2A state tournament at Quitman; def. Barton 3-0; def. No. 25 England 3-0; lost to vs. No. 23 Conway Christian 3-2

COMMENT Golden Arrows reached the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season.

25. England (18-5)

Previous rank: Not ranked

Last week: Class 2A state tournament at Quitman; def. Marshall 3-0; lost to No. 24 Lavaca 3-0

COMMENT: A pair of late-season wins over Taylor earned England the 2A-Central Conference and Conference Tournament titles.

DROPPED OUT

No. 22 Pottsville

— Jeff Halpern

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Arkansas

No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider

Published

1 hour ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider

KNOXVILLE, TN – January 16, 2025 – “We Back Pat” on jersey during the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.

Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.

More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State

How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford

Betting Odds

None listed yet

ESPN Matchup Predictor

Lady Vols – 98.3%

Arkansas – 1.7%

What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State

“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”

Last Five Games

Lady Vols:

at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
at Auburn, 73-56 W
vs. Florida, 76-65 W
vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L

Arkansas:

vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
at Alabama, 77-48 L
vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W

Where They Land In Rankings

Lady Vols:

AP Poll – No. 20

Coaches Poll – No. 22

Bart Torvik – No. 13

Arkansas:

AP Poll – Unranked

Coaches Poll – Unranked

Bart Torvik – No. 107

Stat Leaders

Lady Vols:

Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3

Arkansas:

Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6

Prediction

It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.

While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.

If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.

I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.

Lady Vols 85, Arkansas 61

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Arkansas

Arkansas State defeats Texas State 83-82

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

State

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Arkansas

One more list of wishes for Arkansas in 2026 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

One more list of wishes for Arkansas in 2026 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Rex Nelson

rnelson@adgnewsroom.com

Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”

After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.

He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.

Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.

From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.

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