Arkansas
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
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
ADVERTISEMENT
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
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A bee swarm attack in Texas sent three people, including a firefighter, to the hospital this week, while Arkansas medical experts said most bee stings are not dangerous but can become life-threatening in certain cases.
Authorities in San Antonio said the three victims were hospitalized after being swarmed and stung by aggressive bees. Officials have not released details on what triggered the attack or the species involved.
Doctors in Arkansas said the biggest risk from a bee sting is not the sting itself, but a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
“The concern when you have a bee sting is if you develop a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis,” said Dr. Garrett Lewis, chief medical officer at St. Vincent Infirmary.
Lewis said warning signs include throat swelling, difficulty breathing and feeling faint, which require immediate medical attention.
“If you’re experiencing any throat swelling or severe shortness of breath, you need to seek medical care immediately,” Lewis said.
He added that people who are stung multiple times may also be at risk even without a known allergy, because each sting introduces additional venom into the body.
In the event of a swarm, Lewis said the priority should be escaping the area as quickly as possible and removing any stingers once safe.
“Seek water, seek indoor,” Lewis said. “Once you’re away from the swarm, you want to make sure that you are removing any stingers that might still be in your skin.”
Lewis also said symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and widespread hives can indicate a serious reaction.
While the Texas incident resulted in hospitalizations, a recent swarm outside a Little Rock business ended without injuries after bees briefly gathered on a tree limb before being safely removed by a beekeeper.
Lewis said the best prevention is awareness of surroundings and understanding when medical care is needed after a sting.
CORNING, Ark. (KATV) — Regulatory Enforcement Agents with the Department of Finance and Administration, along with local police, seized a significant amount of illegal THC products from Pacific Green in Corning on Tuesday.
According to the DFA, more than a dozen agents joined the City of Corning Police in the day-long operation that resulted in two arrests.
DFA agents seized more than 25 pounds of illegal products consisting of flower, vapes, and edibles.
Owner Ben Bennett and employee Sharia Shipman were arrested and both charged with the following:
- Delivery of a Schedule VI controlled substance (Class D Felony)
- Possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with the purpose to deliver (Class B Felony)
- Controlled substances – Offenses relating to records, maintaining premises (Class C Felony)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia (Class D Felony)
- Unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes (Class C Felony)
Bennett’s bond was set at $150,000, while Shipman’s bond was set at $100,000.
“In addition to selling illegal products, investigators confirmed violations involving underage access at this location,” said David Potter, Director of the Regulatory Enforcement Division. “This retailer, which was located within 1,000 feet of a school, presented significant public health and safety concerns. We are proud to partner with the Corning Police Department in addressing these violations. We seized a substantial quantity of illegal products, including flower, vapes, edibles, and other items, during the operation. We appreciate the cooperation of local law enforcement and information received from the community that led to yesterday’s operation and stopped this blatant disregard of the law.”
Note: All suspects accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.
The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security
-
Detroit, MI19 minutes agoFired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men
-
San Francisco, CA29 minutes agoSan Francisco family devastated as they face nearly 90% rent increase
-
Dallas, TX34 minutes agoWings’ top pick Azzi Fudd hosts clinic as Cash App donates to Dallas nonprofit
-
Miami, FL41 minutes agoPatients left scrambling for care after Miami-Dade woman accused of operating an unlicensed surgery recovery center
-
Boston, MA44 minutes agoClover plans to reopen some locations after sudden closure, thanks to an anonymous investor
-
Denver, CO49 minutes agoNew report finds Denver metro home buyers and sellers experiencing ‘unattainability fatigue’
-
Seattle, WA56 minutes agoSeattle mayor grilled over public safety, affordability, CCTV
-
San Diego, CA59 minutes agoAutomated license plate readers and public surveillance cameras are coming to Imperial Beach
