WEEK 2 RANKINGS
By Jeff Halpern
In past years, the 6A-West has featured dominant teams.
Fayetteville won four consecutive state championships from 2020-2023. Fayetteville’s 2022 team went 37-2 and did not lose a set to an in-state team.
The past three years, the winners of the West — Fayetteville, Fort Smith Southside and Bentonville — went 15-1 in conference play.
This year, the West doesn’t seem to have that dominant team, but has talented teams capable of knocking each other off.
Fayetteville was preseason No. 1, but was swept by Springdale Har-Ber on Aug. 27. Har-Ber climbed to No. 1 and won the Bentonville Early Bird Classic and beat Bentonville 3-2 on Tuesday before losing to Bentonville West 3-0 on Thursday. Bentonville West knocked off Bentonville 3-2 on Aug. 27 and lost 2-0 to Har-Ber in the Bentonville Early Bird Classic, but swept Har-Ber Thursday night.
As a result, Bentonville West now moves into the top spot in Class 6A.
Here are Arkansas Volleyball Network’s Class 6A rankings for the week ending Sept. 6.
1. BENTONVILLE WEST (9-1, 3-1 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: def. No. 6 Shiloh Christian, 3-2; def. No. 1 Springdale Har-Ber, 3-0
This week: vs. Rogers Heritage Tuesday; at Fort Smith Northside Thursday
Lady Wolverines get a big victory over Har-Ber.
COACH SAID: ‘It was a complete team effort. We aren't a one-man show. We spread our offense and each hitter had an even distribution. From our starting lineup to our bench, our girls were locked in on our goal to beat them. I am very proud of how composed and focused they stayed the entire night.” — Bentonville West head coach Britney Davis on the victory over Springdale Har-Ber
2. SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (7-1, 3-1 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: def. No. 4 Bentonville 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 3 Bentonville West
This week: at No. 7 Shiloh Christian Sept. 8; at Rogers Heritage, Sept. 10
Reese Davis (74 assists, 17 digs), Blakeley Pryor (25 kills, 19 digs), Beaux Cameron (35 kills, 21 digs), and Joely Tankersley (36 digs) led the way.
COACH SAID: “West played lights out. I’m proud of my girls battling through sickness.” — Springdale Har-Ber head coach Sophie Simmons.
3. FAYETTEVILLE (4-1, 3-1 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 2
Last week: def. Rogers Heritage 3-0, def. No. 10 Fort Smith Northside 3-1
This week: vs. No. 10 Rogers Tuesday; at Springdale Thursday
Molly Miller had 50 assists and 10 digs vs. Northside.
4. CABOT (7-3, 1-0 6A-Central)
Previous Rank: No. 6
Last week: def. Pulaski Academy 3-2; def. Jonesboro, 3-0
This week: at Little Rock Southwest Tuesday; vs. No. 6 Conway Thursday; at LRCA Classic Saturday (vs. Jonesboro Westside, vs. Mayflower, vs. Benton)
Missing Alexa Robertson (fever). Cabot blew a 21-17 lead in the fourth set and had set point at 25-24 before losing 27-25 and winning the fifth set against Pulaski Academy 15-5.
COACH SAID: “They were looking forward to this match. We have a friendly rivalry with PA. The girls play with a lot of them in club. They are tough to play against. We put a lot of work into blocking the last few days so we could turn those touches into points for us. That’s one of the things everyone loves about volleyball: the momentum shifts. I told them No lead is safe, and we have to make sure we get to it.” — Cabot head coach Anna Robertson.
5. BENTONVILLE (6-3, 2-2 6A-West)
Previous Rank: No. 4
Last week: lost 3-2 to No. 1 Springdale Har-Ber; def. Rogers Heritage 3-0
This week: vs. Fort Smith Northside Tuesday; at No. 10 Rogers Thursday; at LRCA Classic Saturday (vs. Bryant, vs. Baptist Prep, vs. Russellville)
In both matches, Avery Jo McDonald had 49 assists and 8 kills, Elin Neal had 32 assists, Kennedy Baber had 37 digs, and Evie Venters had 25 kills and 5 blocks.
COACH SAID: “It was a learning week. Har-ber is a very solid team, and I thought we competed well. We are competitive; we just need to learn how to execute when it matters. We are still playing with our lineup, and I feel like every game we get a little closer to figuring it out. My kids are resilient and hungry to continue to grow and get better.” — Bentonville head coach Hannah Berry
6. CONWAY (5-4, 1-0 6A-Central)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: def. Hot Springs Lakeside 3-0; def. Little Rock Southwest 3-0
This week: vs. North Little Rock Tuesday; at No. 4 Cabot Thursday
Lady Cats post a pair of sweeps.
COACH SAID: “This was a great game to start our conference season. We are improving on fast free ball transition, and we served very aggressively.” — Conway head coach Laura Crow on the victory over Little Rock Southwest
7. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (4-3, 2-2 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: lost 3-2 to No. 3 Bentonville West, def. Springdale 3-1; def. Webb City (Mo.) 3-0; lost 3-0 to Farmington
This week: vs. No. 2 Springdale Har-Ber Tuesday; at No. 8 Fort Smith Southside Thursday.
Caroline Stallbaumer had 23 kills and 4 blocks against Bentonville West and Springdale.
COACH SAID: “Our team showed a lot of growth today. We are learning how to trust the process and each other. The goal is to get a little bit better every match and we feel like we did that today!” — Shiloh Christian head coach Cassie Loyd on the split in Saturday’s tri-match
8. FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (3-1, 3-1 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: def. No. 10 Fort Smith Northside 3-2; def. Rogers 3-1
This week: vs. Springdale Tuesday, vs. No. 7 Shiloh Christian Thursday; Fort Smith Invitational Saturday: vs. Heber Springs, vs. Paragould
Hayden McCain had 68 assists, 33 digs, and 9 kills in both victories. Leighton Cross had 32 kills.
COACH SAID: “We are so proud of Hayden and how well she has stepped into the role of a 5-1 setter. She has taken big steps in her vocal leadership and ability to put a good ball up anywhere on the court. I trust her decision-making so much, and it’s been so fun to see her continue to push herself and her teammates. Leighton is an incredible human. She’s been such a steady force on this team and has grown her IQ and range so much in the last year. We leaned on her a lot tonight (vs. Northside), and she showed exactly how tough she is mentally and physically. It was such a team effort tonight, and I love the direction we are going.” — Fort Smith Northside head coach Natalie Throneberry
9. LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL (2-0)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: lost 3-0 to Greenwood; def. North Little Rock, 3-0
This week: vs. Brookland Tuesday; at Bryant Thursday; at LRCA Classic Saturday (vs. Alma, vs. Episcopal Collegiate), vs. Bauxite
Lady Tigers rally from reverse-sweep loss to sweep North Little Rock.
10. ROGERS (4-2, 2-2 6A-West)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Last week: def. Pea Ridge 3-0; def. Springdale 3-0; lost to No. 8 Fort Smith Southside 3-1
This week: at No. 3 Fayetteville Tuesday; vs. No. 5 Bentonville Thursday; at Fort Smith Invitational Saturday: vs. Farmington, vs. Hackett
Hannah Msall had 57 assists, and Brynn Denney had 18 kills in victories over Pea Ridge and Springdale
DROPPED OUT
No. 10 Fort Smith Northside
WEEK 1 RANKINGS
By Jeff Halpern
Since finishing state runner-up in 2021, the Springdale Har-Ber Lady Wildcats have not gotten past the quarterfinal round of the Class 6A state tournament and have not finished higher than third in the 6A-West.
If the first week of the season is any indication, Har-Ber, under first-year head coach Sophie Simmons, might wreck things in the conference and in 6A.
Har-Ber knocked off No. 7 Fort Smith Northside and swept No. 1 Fayetteville before winning the Bentonville Early Bird Classic to move up from No. 8 to No. 1 in the rankings.
Beaux Cameron had 48 kills and 23 digs on Saturday and Reese Davis had 120 assists.
Har-Ber will put their No. 1 ranking on this line this week at No. 4 Bentonville and host No. 3 Bentonville West.
A lot of volleyball remains left to be played, but here are the Arkansas Volleyball Network rankings for Class 6A.
*Last updated 8/30/26*
1. SPRINGDALE HAR-BER (6-0, 2-0 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 8
Last week: def. No. 7 Fort Smith Southside 3-0; def. No. 1 Fayetteville 3-0; at Bentonville Early Bird Classic: def. No. 4 Conway 2-0; def. Little Rock Christian 2-0; def. Greenwood 2-0; def. No. 5 Bentonville West; def. No. 2 Bentonville 2-1 for gold bracket
This week: at No. 4 Bentonville, Sept. 1; vs. No. 3 Bentonville West, Sept. 3
Lady Wildcats make the biggest first-week statement with victories over Southside and Fayetteville and win Early Bird Classic.
COACH SAID: “I’m incredibly proud of our seniors and the leadership they’ve provided, but even more proud of how this team has come together as a family and continues to play for each other, no matter the score. These wins against some of the top teams in the state feel rewarding after all the hard work these girls have put in. I look forward to seeing what this group can accomplish together this season.” — Springdale Har-Ber head coach Sophie Simmons
2. FAYETTEVILLE (2-1, 1-1 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 1
Last week: def. Greenwood 3-0; def. No. 5 Bentonville West 3-0; lost 3-0 to No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber
This week: vs. Rogers Heritage, Sept. 1, at No. 10 Fort Smith Northside, Sept. 3
Lady Bulldogs suffer first loss to Har-Ber since October 2023 after sweeping Bentonville West.
COACH SAID: “We had a decent start to the season…did some great things and identified some areas where we will continue to put the work in to grow and be better as a team.” — Fayetteville head coach Kele Luigs
3. BENTONVILLE WEST (6-2, 1-1 6A-West)
Previous rank: No. 5
Last week: def. Farmington 3-1; lost 3-0 to No. 1 Fayetteville; def. No. 2 Bentonville 3-2; Bentonville Early Bird Classic: def. No. 3 Cabot 2-0; def. Farmington 2-0, def. Blue Springs South (Mo.) 2-0; def. Kirkwood (Mo.); lost 2-0 to Springdale Har-Ber
Next week: at No. 6 Shiloh Christian, Sept. 1; at No. 1 Springdale Har-Ber, Sept. 3
Wolverines make it clear they are going to be in the thick of things in Class 6A.
COACH SAID: “We had a solid first week. I knew it was going to be tough competition for us. Playing the best teams in the state in week 1 helped us compete at a very high level. Audrey Calva, Claire Schofield and Noelle Hammond used their senior leadership to drive our team forward. Beating Farmington Monday taught us our summer load of training worked. Losing to Fayetteville on Tuesday taught us we can never stop focusing on our goals as a team. Beating Bentonville Thursday made us hungry to continue to finish tough matches. We played with a lot of grit. The pool we had was strong at Early Bird. That is exactly what we wanted. We will rest and come back and have a great week 2 of competing.” — Bentonville West head coach Britney Davis
4. BENTONVILLE (5-2, 1-1 6A-West)
Previous Rank: No. 2
Last week: def. No. 6 Shiloh Christian 3-1; lost 3-2 to No. 5 Bentonville West; Bentonville Early Bird Classic: def. Greenbrier; def. Siloam Springs 2-0; def. Kirkwood (Mo.) 2-1; def. No. 4 Conway 2-1; lost to No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber 2-1
This week: vs. No. 7 Springdale Har-Ber Tuesday; at Rogers Heritage, Thursday
Lady Tigers go straight into 6A-West gauntlet and end up runner-up in their tournament.
COACH SAID: “This has been a really tough week scheduling wise and I think we grew a lot. Today was a big learning day for us and I think the girls are finally starting to come together and we are working through some things. Saw lots of good this week but also really was able to see where we need to improve.” — Bentonville head coach Hannah Berry
5. CONWAY (3-4)
Previous rank: No. 4
Last week: lost 3-1 to Benton, lost 3-2 to Greenwood, Thursday; at Bentonville Early Bird Classic: lost 2-0 to No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber, def. Little Rock Christian 2-1; def. Greenwood 2-1; def. Farmington 2-1; lost 2-1 to No. 2 Bentonville
This week: vs. Hot Springs Lakeside, Aug. 31; at Little Rock Southwest, Sept. 3
Young in spots, Lady Cats take their lumps against tough first-week schedule. However, Conway head coach Laura Crow has a way of figuring things out.
COACH SAID: “Today was good for the team. We got to try a lot of different combinations and lineups. We saw some really good teams. Our serving is becoming more consistent and it was good for us to see that quality of teams to work on hitting around the block, fast transitions, and being aggressive on defense. We are super proud of making it to the semis in the gold bracket against high-caliber teams.” — Conway head coach Laura Crow
6. CABOT (5-3)
Previous Rank: No. 3
Last week: def. Paragould 3-0; def. Batesville 3-0; at Bentonville Early Bird Classic: lost 2-1 to Farmington, lost 2-0 to No. 5 Bentonville West, def. Blue Springs South (Mo.) 2-0, def. Siloam Springs 2-0; def. Little Rock Christian 2-0; lost 2-1 to Blue Springs South.
This week: at Pulaski Academy, Sept. 2; Jonesboro, Sept. 3
Lady Panthers find rough waters in Bentonville.
COACH SAID: “I’m really proud of how we played yesterday. We finished third in a really tough pool, battling every match, then losing in a 3-set match in the finals for silver. We did a lot of good things and also saw what we need to work on to win those hard matches in the future. That’s why we look forward to this very competitive tournament every year.” — Cabot head coach Anna Robertson.
7. SHILOH CHRISTIAN (2-1, 1-1 6A-WEST)
Previous rank: No. 6
Last week: def. Siloam Springs 3-0; lost to No. 2 Bentonville 3-1; def. Rogers 3-0
This week: vs. No. 3 Bentonville West, Sept. 1; at Springdale Sept. 3; vs. Webb City (Mo.) and Farmington, Sept. 5. Bristol Bonanno had 59 digs in three matches.
8. FORT SMITH SOUTHSIDE (1-1, 1-1 6A-WEST)
Previous rank: No. 7
Last week: lost 3-0 to No. 8 Springdale Har-Ber; def. Rogers Heritage 3-0
This week: vs. No. 10 Fort Smith Northside Tuesday; at Rogers Thursday
Hayden McCain had 51 assists and 17 digs in both matches.
9. LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL (2-0)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: def. Baptist Prep 3-2; def. Episcopal Collegiate 3-0
This week: at Greenwood, Sept. 1; vs. North Little Rock, Sept. 3. Mikayla Davis dominated the net for the Lady Tigers. Central overcame a 2-1 deficit vs. Baptist Prep, including the third set, which they lost 25-13.
10. FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE (1-1, 1-1 6A-WEST)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: lost 3-1 to Rogers, Tuesday; def. Springdale 3-0
This week: at No. 8 Fort Smith Southside. Sept. 1: vs. No. 2 Fayetteville; Sept. 3. Eden Fields had 36 digs in both matches.
10. FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE (1-1, 1-1 6A-WEST)
Previous rank: No. 9
Last week: lost 3-1 to Rogers, Tuesday; def. Springdale 3-0
This week: at No. 8 Fort Smith Southside. Sept. 1: vs. No. 2 Fayetteville; Sept. 3. Eden Fields had 36 digs in both matches.