WEEK 2 RANKINGS
By Jeff Halpern
After finishing state runner-up a year ago, Farmington opened the season as the preseason No. 1 team in Class 5A.
The Lady Cardinals had a tough first week losing to Class 6A teams Bentonville West twice (once in the Bentonville Early Bird Classic) and to defending Class 6A state champion Conway in the same tournament and fell to No. 3
This week, Farmington defeated Shiloh Christian and two teams from Missouri — NIxa and Webb City — and have moved to No. 2.
The other biggest mover was Little Rock Christian, which moved from No. 8 to No. 5 after a 3-0 victory over No. 6 Mount St. Mary.
Here are Arkansas Volleyball Network’s Class 5A rankings for the week ended on Sept. 6.
1. MARION (10-1, 4-0 5A-East)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: def. West Memphis 3-0; def. Greene County Tech 3-0
This week: vs. Nettleton Tuesday
Claire Brinkley had 50 assists, 19 digs and 10 kills in both victories'y
2. FARMINGTON (7-3)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: def. Nixa (Mo.) 3-2; def. Webb City (Mo.) 3-0; def. Shiloh Christian 3-0
This week: at Mountain Home Tuesday; at Pottsville Thursday; at Fort Smith Invitational Saturday: vs. Rogers, vs. Hackett
Lady Cardinals beat a pair of Missouri teams that went a combined 54-22 a year ago.
COACH SAID: “I am really proud of our team! We put pressure on early, passed the ball very well, put our hitters in great positions to score, put up a big block, and had some big-time hustle plays. It was a great team effort today. Looking forward to starting conference play on Tuesday.” — Farmington head coach Kylie Moad
3. VALLEY VIEW (9-2-1, 2-1 5A-East)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: def. Searcy 3-0; def. West Memphis 3-0
This week: at Greene County Tech Tuesday; at Nettleton Thursday
Mary Kate Rees (36 assists, 6 aces, 26 digs), Peyton Prater (9 kills, 6 aces, 18 digs), Lynnli Jo Thomas (24 digs), and Kate Calhoon (22 kills, 2 aces) led the Blazers to a pair of sweeps.
4. BENTON (5-0, 2-0 5A-South)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: def. Sheridan 3-0; def. No. 7 Greenbrier 3-2; def. El Dorado 3-0
This week: vs. Baptist Prep Tuesday; at Texarkana Thursday; at LRCA Classic Saturday: vs. Cabot, vs. Jonesboro Westside, vs. Mayflower
Lady Panthers pull of a reverse sweep vs. Greenbrier
COACH SAID: “We came out flat the first two sets against a good team. It was nice to see how we responded in the third set on. We showed grit. I’m proud of them.” — Benton head coach Brooke White on the win over Greenbrier
5. LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (5-3, 4-0 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: def. No. 6 Mount St. Mary 3-0; def. Sylvan Hills 3-1
This week: at Vilonia, at No. 7 Pulaski Academy Thursday; LRCA Classic Saturday: vs. St. Mary’s (Tenn.), vs, North Little Rock, vs. Searcy
COACH SAID: “I’m really proud. I have girls who have been working really hard, and we knew this was going to be an important game, and the sets are going to count when it comes to conference play. When they saw they could do it after the first two, there was a lot of fight in them. I have seven seniors on the court, and all of those defensive players are seniors, and their time on the court is showing. The age on the court and their experience helps. In the huddle, our defense said we don’t have to do anything because our front row is blocking, so they’re working off one another.” — Little Rock Christian head coach Lacey Rowan on the victory over Mount St. Mary
6. GREENBRIER (5-4, 4-0 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: def. No. 7 Pulaski Academy 3-1; lost 3-2 to No. 4 Benton; def. Joe T. Robinson 3-0
This week: at Little Rock Parkview Tuesday; vs. No. 8 Mount St. Mary Thursday
COACH SAID: “We schedule games like this knowing they are going to be tough, and it was. A non-conference loss this early is disappointing, but it’s not always a bad thing, so now we have to bounce back and be better the next time we are out in those situations.” — Greenbrier head coach Katie Huff on the reverse-sweep loss to Benton
7. PULASKI ACADEMY (6-3, 3-1 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: lost 3-1 to No. 7 Greenbrier; lost 3-2 to Cabot, def. Little Rock Parkview 3-0
This week: vs. No. 5 Little Rock Christian Thursday
Lady Bruins rallied from 21-17 deficit to win the fourth set 27-25 vs. Cabot before falling 15-5 in fifth set.
COACH SAID: “We missed both of our first serves and then they went on a run, and it’s hard to come back from a run like that in the fifth set. I don’t think we played bad up until that point. They had a run, and it didn’t work out for us. We didn’t serve clean enough. We’re not holding the points on the back line. We got to wake up and respond. The games aren’t getting easier.” — Pulaski Academy head coach Jason Lambert on the loss to Cabot.
8. MOUNT ST. MARY (7-2, 3-1 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: lost 3-0 to No. 8 Little Rock Christian; def. Jacksonville 3-0
This week: vs. Joe T. Robinson Tuesday; at No. 6 Greenbrier Thursday
Belles had won 22 consecutive conference matches before losing to Little Rock Christian.
COACH SAID: “They did a good scouting report wise finding the weaknesses. They’re a good team, definitely better than last year, really consistent and limit their errors.” — Mount St. Mary head coach Olivia Stroud on the loss to Little Rock Christian
9. VAN BUREN (2-1)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: def. Prairie Grove 3-1; def. Pottsville 3-0
This week: at Greenwood Tuesday; vs. Siloam Springs Thursday; at Fort Smith Invitational Saturday: vs. Mansfield, vs. Sylvan Hills
Carley Freeman (29 kills, 5 blocks), Emery Kimes (20 kills, 24 digs), Anna Crabtree (30 assists), Matilyn Dunn (31 assists, 14 digs) led the Lady Pointers.
10. HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE (3-1, 2-0 5A-South)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: lost 3-0 to Conway; def. White Hall 3-0; def. Texarkana 3-0
This week: at Hot Springs Thursday
Lady Rams get their first two conference victories.
COACH SAID: “I am very proud of 2-0 start to conference. Yes, Conway beat us in non-conference, but that is a team you learn from so you can grow. It is a rebuild year, but this is good, and right now the team is starting to pick up energy and more consistency.” — Hot Springs Lakeside head coach Rhonda Thigpen
WEEK 1 RANKINGS
By Jeff Halpern
Defending 5A state champion Marion opened the season ranked No. 2, but in the first week of the season, the Lady Patriots showed they are champions until proven otherwise.
Marion knocked off 4A runner-up Jonesboro Westside, its conference rival Valley View, and finished runner-up in the River City Classic in Bartlett, Tenn., going 5-1 against teams from Tennessee.
Farmington, which opened the season ranked No. 1, lost to three of the best teams in 6A – Bentonville West (twice) and Conway in the first week of the season. Farmington will test itself against Nixa (Mo.), Webb City (Mo.) and Shiloh Christian before 5A-West play begins on Sept. 8 against Mountain Home.
Here’s Arkansas Volleyball Network’s Class 5A rankings after Week 1.
*Last updated 8/30/26*
1. MARION (8-1, 1-0 5A-East)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: def. Collierville (Tenn.) 3-1; def. Jonesboro Westside 3-2; def. No. 3 Valley View, 3-1; at River City Classic, Bartlett, Tenn., def. St. Mary’s (Tenn.) 2-1; def. St. Benedict (Tenn.); 2-0; def. Evangelical Christian (2-0); def. Houston (Tenn.); def. Bartlett (Tenn.); lost to Briarcrest (Tenn.) 2-0 for gold bracket
This week: at West Memphis, Tuesday Greene County Tech, Thursday.
Defending 5A champions showing they are still the team to beat until proven otherwise.
COACH SAID: “To be 8-1 at the end of this week was a complete group effort. We have players that simply refuse to lose. This week has been hard physically and mentally, and our girls have proven that we have a lot of fight. Starting off the season with Tennessee powerhouse Collierville and then 4A State Runner-up Westside then opening our conference with a tough Valley View squad was quite the test and we rose to the occasion. This Bartlett tournament always brings big teams and lots of competition that prepares us for our season ahead. We are very proud of our performances this week. Love our team and how we play hard for each other!” — Marion head coach Lisa Beasley
2. VALLEY VIEW (7-2-1, 0-1 5A-East)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: def. Brookland 3-0; lost 3-1 to No. 2 Marion; at Spikefest (tied Baptist Prep 1-1 def. Mountain Home 2-0; def. Newport 2-0; def. Batesville 2-0; def. Mount St. Mary 2-0;; def. Vilonia 2-0; def. Vilonia 2-0; lost 2-0 to Brookland for Gold bracket
This week: at Searcy, Tuesday; vs. West Memphis, Thursday.
After reading the finals at Spikefest, Lady Blazers had trouble raising their level of play in the finals.
COACH SAID: “They lost their best player to an injury on Tuesday, and they didn’t figure it out. They wanted it and they wanted to beat us because we beat them four days ago and we had a great day all day along and just didn’t play to our best of our ability when we walked over here. We did not execute as we should have. We’re going to have work on the fundamentals of defense and blocking because that’s what wins ball games, and work on the hard stuff. They need to execute what we’re telling them, and they need to trust us. Nothing fancy; we were flat-footed.” — Valley View head coach Margie McGee
3. FARMINGTON (4-3)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: lost 3-1 to Bentonville West Monday; def. Huntsville 3-0; def. Gravette 3-0; at Bentonville Early Bird Classic: def. Cabot 2-1, lost 2-0 to Bentonville West, def. Blue Springs South (Mo.) 2-0; lost 2-1 to Conway.
This week: at Nixa (Mo.) Thursday; vs. Webb City (Mo.)/Shiloh Christian, Saturday
All three losses come to 6A teams. Lady Cardinals meet two teams from Missouri this week.
COACH SAID: “We love getting to come to this tournament; it’s great competition. I see it as every challenging opponent, every long rally, every hard-fought point makes us better. I am proud of the way our girls played today; we got better.” — Farmington head coach Kylie Moad
4. BENTON (2-0)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: def. Conway 3-1; def. Bryant 3-1
This week: at Sheridan, Tuesday; vs. No. 7 Greenbrier, Wednesday; vs. El Dorado, Thursday. Bella Gonzalez had 11 kills and 14 digs in a victory over Bryant. Anniston Fox had 23 assists.
COACH SAID: “It’s the work we put in; they’re buying into the system and playing for each other and working hard. It’s fun. They come in every day and listen and adjust and try it. We were young last year and have grown and seen some things, and they’re all-embracing things and going out to fight.” — Benton head coach Brooke White
5. PULASKI ACADEMY (6-1, 2-0 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: def. Sylvan Hills 3-1; def. Vilonia 3-2; at Spikefest Saturday (def. Lonoke 2-0; def. North Little Rock 2-0; def. Harrisburg 2-0; def. Beebe 2-0; lost 2-1 to Brookland
This week: vs. No. 7 Greenbrier Tuesday, vs. Cabot Wednesday, vs. Little Rock Parkview Thursday. Lady Bruins were without Rachel Ardoin (illness) at Spikefest.
COACH SAID: “I don’t think we played bad today. Had trouble picking up blocks. We’re doing good things and playing aggressively and looked decent. Had a good first week and hope to have a good next week.” — Pulaski Academy head coach Jason Lambert
6. MOUNT ST. MARY (6-1, 2-0 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: def. Little Rock Parkview 3-0; def. Maumelle 3-0; Spikefest: def. Central Arkansas Christian 2-0; def. Searcy 2-0; def. Berryville 2-0; def. North Little Rock 2-1; lost 2-0 to Valley View
This week: Tuesday at No. 8 Little Rock Christian; Wednesday, at Jacksonville; Thursday vs. Joe T. Robinson. Belles fall short in bid to repeat as Spikefest champions. Rivalry match set for Tuesday at LR Christian.
COACH SAID: “We saw everything from really scrappy teams to teams with a lot of height. I’m happy with how the girls did. I thought we got gassed there, but we get to go home and know what we need to work on. We lost to a really good defender. I feel like our conference is growing and getting a lot stronger. We need to work on chemistry, know when to smash the ball and when to have ball control.” — Mount St. Mary head coach Olivia Stroud
7. GREENBRIER (4-2, 2-0 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: def. Vilonia, 3-0; def. Jacksonville 3-0; at Bentonville Early Bird Classic: lost to Bentonville 2-0, def. Siloam Springs 2-0; lost to Kirkwood (Mo.) 2-1; lost to Blue Springs (Mo.) South
This week: vs. No. 7 Pulaski Academy, Tuesday; at No. 6 Benton, Wednesday; vs. Joe T. Robinson, Thursday. Lady Panthers face tough tests in Bentonville teams from Missouri. High competition awaits this week with new conference opponent Pulaski Academy and perennial contender Benton. Lilly Parker had 46 assists and 6 aces against Vilonia and Jacksonville.
8. LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (3-3, 2-0 5A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: def. Jacksonville 3-0; def. Joe T. Robinson 3-0; at Bentonville Early Bird Classic: lost 2-0 to Springdale Har-Ber, lost 2-1 to Conway, def. Greenwood 2-1; lost to 2-0 to Cabot
This week: vs. No. 6 Mount St. Mary, Tuesday; at Sylvan Hills, Thursday. Heelyn Hanks and Allie Grace Reddit lead Lady Warriors with 15 kills. Abby Robinson leads with 24 digs. Hope Miller leads with 32 assists. Rivalry match set for Tuesday
9. VAN BUREN (1-1)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: lost 3-0 to Rogers, Monday; def. Berryville 3-1
This week: at Prairie Grove, Monday; vs. Pottsville, Thursday.
Abasing Berryville, Isabella Peters had 13 digs and 3 aces. Emberly Kimes and 10 kills and 10 digs. Anna Beth Crabtree had 16 assists and five kills.
10. HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE (3-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: def. Little Rock Southwest 3-0; def. Texas High 3-0; def. North Little Rock 3-1)
This week: at Conway Monday; vs. White Hall Tuesday; vs. Texarkana Thursday
London Jackson had 47 kills and 25 digs to help the Lady Rams win all three matches last week.
DROPPED OUT
No. 10 Paragould
10. HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE (3-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: def. Little Rock Southwest 3-0; def. Texas High 3-0; def. North Little Rock 3-1)
This week: at Conway Monday; vs. White Hall Tuesday; vs. Texarkana Thursday
London Jackson had 47 kills and 25 digs to help the Lady Rams win all three matches last week.
DROPPED OUT
No. 10 Paragould