Class 6A Arkansas state volleyball championship: Fayetteville's dominance continues in sweep of Fort Smith Southside

No. 1 Bulldogs take third straight state title

By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Tommy Land 

HOT SPRINGS — All season long, the Fayetteville Lady Bulldogs played with the target on their back as the team to beat.

Saturday night, the No. 1 ranked Lady Bulldogs (27-2) fulfilled the goal of winning 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 Bank Ozk Arena.

“These kids, I can’t imagine their season ending any other way,” said Fayetteville head coach Jessica Phelan. “The relationships these players have formed extends well beyond volleyball. My biggest takeaway is they always put team over me. They always wanted to win for each other.”

Kennedy Phelan was named state tournament MVP for the second consecutive year after collecting 7 kills, 37 assists and 18 digs. Brooke Rockwell had 17 kills with 13 digs. Reagan Harp had 10 kills and 8 digs. Ashley Ruff had 22 digs.

“Kennedy has always had a great group of hitters and a lot of options," Jessica Phelan said. "I know a lot of people look at the setter as the one who leads and tonight, we were a composed group.”

Kennedy Phelan begins her next volleyball chapter at Florida State.

“To finish this way with my mom and my best friends is an incredible feeling,” said Kennedy Phelan.

Fayetteville, which did not drop a set against in-state competition all year, never trailed in the first game. Leading 12-9 with Rockwell serving, the Lady Bulldogs scored four consecutive points with Libby LIndsey, Madeline Lafata getting kills with two attack errors by Southside’s Lydia Pitts and Meg Lux to make it 16-9. Kills by Lafata and Rockwell helped extend the lead to 18-10.

In the second set, Fayetteville found itself down 12-9 before scoring 5 of the next 7 points to tie the game at 14-14. Phelan had two kills during that stretch while Rockwell and Lindsey also had one kill during that span. The game went back and forth and with Southside leading 18-17, Felicity Suggs’ serve went long tying the game at 18-18. Reagan Harp had a kill to put the Lady Bulldogs up for good at 19-18.

Southside overcame a 5-1 deficit in the third game to tie it at 6-6 with a kills by Tinsley Ferguson, Rayleigh Twist and Lydia Pitts. The game was tied at 10-10 before Fayetteville started to gain control. Rockwell had a kill to break the tie. Linsey had a block to make it 12-10. Phelan had a kill to make it 13-10 as Fayetteville gradually pulled away.

“Southside did a great job tonight and forced us to maintain our composure,” said 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 everything,” said Kennedy Phelan.

Southside head coach Natalie Throneberry, whose team lost to Fayetteville three times this season, was upbeat following the loss.

“I can’t be more proud of our kids tonight,” said Throneberry. “We had five sophomores playing regularly all year and the progress these kids made, makes me feel very good about them.

“I tell this team they took on a college team [Fayetteville has five players who have committed to playing at the NCAA Division-I level] and gave them everything they had.”