Class 3A Arkansas state volleyball championship: Baptist Prep's dream comes true with win over Hackett
By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Tommy Land
HOT SPRINGS — To Baptist Prep head coach Krista Spoon, the Lady Eagles’ Class 3A state championship was six years in the making.
The Lady Eagles lost to Shiloh Christian six years ago when the seniors were in seventh grade. A year ago, Baptist Prep lost to Hackett 3-0 in the semifinals and vowed they would win a state championship this season.
The dream came true for the No. 15-ranked Lady Eagles (26-4), who defeated No. 9 Hackett (28-2) 25-16, 25-22, 25-22 Saturday afternoon at Bank OZK Arena.
“This is huge,” said Spoon. “I have six seniors, and they all played today. They were in seventh grade when we lost to Shiloh, and we lost last year and they vowed never again.”
Baptist Prep was led by state tournament MVP Allison Jackson, who had 7 kills, 2 assists and 9 digs. Abby Renshaw had 12 kills. Presley Morris had 18 digs. Addie Fielder had 31 assists and 6 digs. As a team, they hit .237 while holding Hacket to a.098 hitting percentage and had 4 team blocks.
“Every team needs an Allison Jackson,” said Spoon. “She is going to Arkansas Tech. She is a vocal leader and makes everyone around her better.
“Our defense and our serves were crazy good. We blocked like our lives depended on it.”
Hackett, which reached the state finals for the second year in a row, had difficulties putting together a run Saturday.
“We knew Baptist is a similar team in they have strong hitter and play good defense,” said head coach Bridgett Freeman. “We didn’t pass well and serve well and that has been a team strength all year. We got things going in spurts and seemed to piece meal things together.”
Mackenzie Freeman led Hackett with 9 kills and 10 digs. Prairie Vaughn had 15 assists and 7 digs. Kyleigh Hill had 12 assists. Mackenzie Mendenhall had 6 kills and 9 digs.
The first game was tied 9-9 before Baptist Prep asserted control by scoring 10 of the next 15 points. Leading 21-16, the Lady Eagle scored the final four points with Hackett committing three attack errors.
The second set was tied 13-13 before an ace by Renshaw, a kill by Paige Webb and a kill by Jackson pushed the Eagles up 16-13, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the set.
After Jackson’s attack went wide, allowing Hackett to close to 24-22, Fielder had a kill to end the game.
Baptist Prep took a 22-15 lead in the third set before Hackett closed to 24-22 thanks to three attack errors by Baptist Prep and two kills by Mendenhall. The match finally came with a kill by Jackson.
“We played a very tough schedule that prepared us for this,” said Spoon, whose team defeated Class 6A finalist Fort Smith Southside, 4A state tournament participants Wynne, Pottsville and Pulaski Academy and had losses to 5A semifinalist Mount St. Mary and 5A-West champion Greenwood. “We didn’t like the fact SB Live had Hackett ranked ahead of us all year.”
Hackett defeated 2A champion Mansfield, 4A finalist Shiloh Christian, 5A semifinalist Van Buren and 6A state tournament participant Springdale Har-Ber. The Hornets only loss was to Little Rock Central in the Fort Smith Invitational before Saturday.
“I told my team I was very proud of them. We went 28-2 and beat some of the best teams in the state,” Freeman said.
