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
Arkansas has made significant investments to strengthen its primary care physician workforce over the past decade. New medical schools have opened in the state, residency program slots have increased, and loan forgiveness programs have been established to incentivize residency graduates to remain in the state to practice. Despite these efforts, access to a usual source of care (i.e., a place where one goes for routine healthcare needs) remains a challenge for many Arkansans, according to a new report.
Published February 12 by the Milbank Memorial Fund, the report, “Investing in Primary Care: The Missing Strategy in Americaâs Fight Against Chronic Disease,” evaluates statesâ primary care performance. Among its findings is that 18% of Arkansas adults report not having a usual source of care, which is comparable to the national estimate of 17%. That means that nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans do not have a consistent way of interacting with the stateâs healthcare system.
Access to a Usual Source of Care
Nationwide, the report finds that among adults with chronic disease, having a usual source of care is associated with lower odds of hospitalization and lower total spending on health care. These findings are particularly relevant for Arkansas, where chronic disease prevalence remains high. The most recent Americaâs Health Rankings report from the United Health Foundation ranked Arkansas 44th among all 50 states and the District Columbia for its percentage (15%) of adults with three or more chronic conditions â such as arthritis, diabetes, or cancer â in 2023, with the top-ranked state having the lowest percentage.
The Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement Working Group, established under Act 483 of 2025, is currently examining primary care investment in the state. The group, which includes a representative from ACHI, is tasked with measuring current primary care spending, evaluating the adequacy of the primary care delivery system, and recommending spending targets for Medicaid and commercial insurers. These efforts align with national recommendations to track and increase primary care investment, an issue we highlighted in a previous post.
Arkansasâs Primary Care Workforce
The countryâs primary care workforce supply is another focus of the Milbank report. The report estimates that Arkansas had 58 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents in 2023, below the national average of 68 per 100,000 residents. The Milbank report also finds that 29% of Arkansas physicians were working in primary care in 2023, compared to 27% nationally.
The stateâs higher-than-average share of physicians choosing primary care is encouraging, but long-term retention and geographic distribution remain challenges. ACHI developed the Arkansas Primary Care Physician Workforce Dashboard, an interactive tool that allows users to view data on primary care physicians practicing in Arkansas. The dashboard â which uses a broader definition of âprimary care physicianâ than the Milbank reportâs â shows that per capita rates of primary care physicians vary widely between urban and rural counties, and that two counties, Montgomery and Newton, had no active full-time primary care physician in 2022. The dashboard also shows that 26% of fill-time primary care physicians in the state were 60 or older in 2022, raising concerns about future supply as many approach retirement.
The Milbank report finds that in communities with higher levels of social deprivation â measured by the social deprivation index, a composite indicator of socioeconomic hardship â primary care physician availability in Arkansas is lower on average than in similarly deprived communities nationwide. Given the high burden of chronic disease among Arkansans, this is a concerning finding.
Recommendations
States that invest in primary care, as highlighted in the Milbank report, experience downstream improvements in population health and lower healthcare costs. Arkansas has established the infrastructure to evaluate and potentially increase those investments. ACHI will continue to track physician supply, distribution, and access to help inform primary care policy discussions.
Find more information about Arkansasâs healthcare workforce on our topic page.
Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, who led the Razorbacks to the 1994 national title, will be immortalized with a statue outside Bud Walton Arena, the school said Wednesday.
Richardson was on the court at halftime of No. 20 Arkansas’ 105-85 win over Texas in the team’s regular-season home finale Wednesday night when athletic director Hunter Yurachek surprised him and told him the school had commissioned a statue to commemorate his achievements.
Per the school’s announcement, work on the statue is set to begin soon.
“Coach Richardson’s impact on the game of basketball and our state is immeasurable,” Yurachek said in a statement. “He represented Arkansas with a toughness and intense work ethic that endeared him to our fans while changing the lives of numerous athletes, coaches and staff under his direction. His ’40 minutes of Hell’ changed college basketball and led to the 1994 national championship that changed Arkansas and our university forever. Coach Richardson will stand tall outside the arena for the rest of time.”
BUILD THE STATUE. LIVING LEGEND. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/2nJPh1d6zo
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) March 5, 2026
Richardson coined the phrase “40 Minutes of Hell” in reference to the ferocious, full-court defense his Arkansas teams played during his tenure (1985-2002). Between Arkansas and his first Division I job at Tulsa, Richardson amassed 508 wins (389 with the Razorbacks), reached the Final Four three times and secured Arkansas’ only national title.
Richardson also was a member of the Texas Western (now UTEP) teams that preceded the school’s victory over Kentucky in 1966, when five Black players started an NCAA championship game for the first time and won. That game paved the way for Black players to compete at schools that had previously rejected them.
Richardson, one of six SEC coaches to win a national title since 1990, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
After Wednesday’s game, current Arkansas coach John Calipari joked that he’s contractually obligated to clean the statue once it’s finished.
“Which I will do in a pleasant way because I love it,” he said. “He’s been so good to me since I’ve been here.”
Richardson and Arkansas were not on good terms when they divorced in 2002. But the two sides have repaired the relationship over the years. The university renamed the floor at Bud Walton Arena “Nolan Richardson Court” in 2019. Richardson praised Calipari’s hiring in 2024 after he left Kentucky, and he has been around the program since Calipari’s arrival.
“He should have been had a statue, I think,” said Trevon Brazile, who finished with 28 points on his senior night Wednesday. “They won the national championship.”
Added Darius Acuff Jr., who finished with 28 points and 13 assists against the Longhorns: “It’s great to see that for sure. Coach Richardson is a big part of our team. He’s been to a couple of our practices, so it’s always good to see [him]. He’s a legend.”
BONANZA, Ark. (KATV) — According to our partners at 40/29 News, autopsies show that Charity Beallis died by suicide, and her six-year-old twin children died by homicide.
Beallis and the children were found on December 3, 2025, in their home in Bonanza. All three had gunshot wounds.
Records show that Beallis and her husband were in the process of divorcing when the murders happened. 40/29 reports that Beallis’ son has asked that their divorce be considered final, while her husband, Randall Beallis, has asked the court to dismiss the divorce proceedings.
The news release listed the following evidence:
— An examination of the transcripts of the deposition of Mrs. Beallis in the divorce/custody case and the final hearing on the case on 12-2-2025, reveal that she wished to be reconciled to her estranged husband, which did not happen. Mrs. Beallis, after being represented by four different attorneys, represented herself in the contested divorce/custody hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, Mrs. Beallis was ordered to begin joint custody of her children with her estranged husband.
–Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband was a driver of a Tesla electric vehicle at that time. Tesla has compiled location data on Tesla vehicles, and according to the information provided by Tesla, Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband’s vehicle was not near the residence in Bonanza on the night in question. Also, the estranged husband’s phones did not “ping” any of the cell towers proximately related to Ms. Beallis’ location.
–Information from the home security alarm company shows the alarm was deactivated by Mrs. Beallis by her phone (she had exclusive access to the security system) at around 10 pm on the night in question. Even though deactivated, the alarm company was able to provide information showing no doors or windows to the home were opened during that time. When law enforcement arrived after 9:30 am on 12-3-2025, there were no doors or windows open, and they had to use a key to enter the home. SCSO rigorously tested the functioning of each door and window and found them to be operating properly.
The court released an order on Wednesday stating that it does not have jurisdiction to rule on those motions regarding the divorce. Beallis’ body has been released to her son, while the children are with Randall Beallis.
As Texas braces for messy Senate runoff, Georgia Republicans fear similar fate unless Trump endorses
Hawaii Foodbank Kauai provides help for TSA workers – The Garden Island
‘I’ve never seen something that big’: Boise neighbors finding rats in their backyards
Mayors across Illinois push for local gas tax, other state laws
Valparaiso 63-62 Indiana State (Mar 5, 2026) Game Recap – ESPN
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?
Iran’s fight for survival / The widening war / Trump’s nebulous goals : Sources & Methods
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon7 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling