In four of the past five seasons, the Marion volleyball team has earned a share of, or outright won, the 5A East crown.
Marion’s quest to make it five in six years is off to a flying start in 2026.
The Patriots defended both of their home courts over the past week, last Thursday claiming a three-set victory over Greene County Tech (25-19, 25-10, 25-15) at Fidelity Bank Arena, and kept it rolling on Tuesday evening with a straight-set victory (25-8, 25-13, 25-12) in their first match this fall at 3M Transit Arena.
Marion is now 11-1 overall in 2026, and a flawless 4-0 in the 5A East with nothing on the schedule left for the rest of the week.
The defending Class 5A state champions spring back into action on Monday, September 14, with a home non-conference match at 3M Transit Arena against Class 4A power Brookland, ahead of 5A East road matches at Beebe on Tuesday, then at Batesville on Thursday.
You can watch every match next week for free and live on the Marion Patriots Activities Network.
Marion never trailed in the first set against Greene County Tech, scoring the first two points of the match and extending it to a 10-5 lead on Marlee Williams’ second kill to force a Tech timeout.
Marion claimed its first double-digit lead (15-5) of the night on a Kendall Brown kill, and the Patriots held off a late Eagle rally by coming up with kills from Brown and Bren Sutton to close out the visitors in the first set.
Greene County Tech kept pace with Marion in the second stanza, playing the Pats to a 6-6 tie when the hosts embarked on the first true run of that frame.
The spurt began with a Brown ace, followed by a Sutton kill, a second Brown ace, and when Izzy Fenter slammed a kill home, Marion led 13-6 to force an Eagle timeout.
Fenter struck again shortly after with another kill to give Marion a double-digit lead at 17-7, and Marion got back-to-back kills from Brown to clinch a 15-point victory.
Marion never trailed in the third set, taking the lead for good at 2-1 following a Williams block point, followed by a Taylor Ruffin kill, a Williams kill, and a kill by Claire Brinkley.
Aces by Alli Sharp and Annabelle White helped Marion maintain that lead, and a second White ace pushed Marion in front by 10 for the first time in the third set at 23-13, and kills by Ruffin and Brown pushed the Pats across the finish line against Greene County Tech.
The Pats’ return to 3M Transit Arena was just in time for Nettleton’s annual visit to Marion, and the home team reacted accordingly, bolting out to a 9-3 lead in the first set behind two kills apiece from Brown and Williams, and one each from Ruffin and Fenter.
Back-to-back kills from Fenter and Sutton staked Marion to its first double-digit lead (17-7) of the first set, and Sharp served two aces, wrapped around a Brown kill, to close out a 25-8 victory in the first set.
The Marion run continued into the second set as the Pats scored the first six points in succession, highlighted by kills from Fenter, Williams, Sutton, and Brinkley.
Williams and Brown took center stage later in the second, combining for five kills in a seven-point span to give Marion an 18-10 lead and force a Nettleton timeout; a Williams ace, followed by a Brown kill, gave Marion its final 12-point cushion in the second.
The Patriots opened the third set on a 4-0 run behind senior Mallorie Sharp’s three aces to open play, and the Patriot advantage hit 17-7 on a Brown ace.
Later on, White and Sharp handed out aces as six of the Patriots’ 25 points in the third frame came from the stripe.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Marion is off the rest of this week, but plays three matches next week, beginning with a non-conference home tilt against Class 4A Brookland on Monday, September 14. MHS visits Beebe in a 5A East match the following night, and the Pats travel to play Batesville on Thursday, September 17.
You can watch all three matches next week live and for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network.
1K CLUB
Marion seniors Claire Brinkley and Kendall Brown made some school history earlier this season for their excellent play.
Brown eclipsed the 1,000-kill threshold in her volleyball career at Marion, while Brinkley passed 1,000 assists, and counting, in her career.
5A EAST RESULTS FROM 9/8
Marion 3, Nettleton 0
Valley View 3, Greene Co. Tech 0
Batesville 3, Beebe 1
Searcy at W. Memphis did not report.
5A EAST STANDINGS ON 9/9
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
Marion 4-0
Paragould 3-0
Valley View 3-1
Searcy 1-1
Batesville 1-2
Beebe 1-2
Greene Co. Tech 1-3
Nettleton 1-3
W. Memphis 0-3
5A EAST MATCHES ON 9/10
Paragould at Beebe
Valley View at Nettleton
Batesville at Searcy
Greene Co. Tech at W. Memphis
Marion is open.