JONESBORO AND MARION --- Marion’s quest for a fifth conference title in six seasons is in the home stretch of the 2026 season.
The Pats absorbed their first conference loss since 2024 on Monday night, losing in four sets at Valley View (25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21) at Blazer Arena, just Marion’s second loss to Valley View in the last eight meetings.
But the Pats flipped the script on Tuesday evening at Fidelity Bank Arena, dismissing West Memphis in three sets (25-10, 25-7, 25-6) on Senior Night.
The Patriots are now 17-2 overall this season and 9-1 in the 5A East conference chase. Marion and Valley View split their two regular-season meetings in 2026, and each won their match in four sets.
Marion’s trip to Valley View on Monday was a classic battle between two of the top programs in the state as the teams split the first 22 points of the initial set, but the Pats ripped off the first run of the night, scoring three points in a row, highlighted by kills from Claire Brinkley and Marlee Williams.
Valley View led 21-20 when Williams pounded another kill, followed by an Alli Sharp ace that gave the visitors a 22-21 lead to force a Blazer timeout.
A hitting error after the stoppage gave Marion a 23-21 lead, but the Blazers scored the final four points to steal the lid-lifter from the Pats.
Valley View led throughout the second stanza, but Marion scored three straight points, two on kills from Kendall Brown and Williams, followed by a Sharp ace, to claim a 14-13 advantage.
Kills from Brown and Taylor Ruffin, followed by a net violation, pushed the Pats in front 18-15, and Marion’s lead reached 22-16 following another Brown kill, but the Blazers scored the final nine points for a dramatic three-point victory in set No. 2.
Marion was undeterred in the third set, however, never trailing and leading by as many as seven points.
Williams recorded a kill and an ace prior to a Ruffin kill to give Marion a 14-8 lead, and back-to-back kills from Sutton and Brown gave the Pats a 20-13 advantage to force a Blazer timeout.
Valley View got within four points twice down the stretch, but Ruffin and Brown logged kills down the stretch as Marion claimed a 25-21 victory.
Marion controlled the lead early in the fourth frame as Williams came up with a kill and a block, followed by a block from Brinkley and Ruffin that gave Marion a 10-7 edge.
Consecutive aces from Sharp gave Marion a 13-9 lead, but the Blazers pulled even at 15 following a block point, which sparked an 11-0 run that gave the Blazers enough to win set No. 4 by four points.
Marion celebrated senior night on Tuesday, with 10 soon-to-be graduates recognized prior to the Sr. B and Sr. A matches against West Memphis.
The Pats showed little rust playing their second game in as many nights, scoring eight points in a row in the first set to take control of the proceedings.
Aces from Annabelle White and Alli Sharp sparked the run, and a kill by Brown gave Marion its first double-digit lead at 16-6.
Kills from Izzy Fenter and Harper Doyle led to back-to-back aces from Mallorie Sharp, and Marion eased to a 15-point victory in the first set.
Doyle, Williams, and Brown logged kills early in the second set, and an Alli Sharp ace pushed the Pats in front 4-1; when Williams served an ace followed by a kill, West Memphis called for time trailing 8-2.
A Claire Brinkley kill gave Marion a double-digit edge (13-3), and kills from Ruffin, Doyle, Bren Sutton, Fenter, and Brinkley down the stretch gave Marion a tidy 25-7 conquest.
Back-to-back aces from Williams followed a Brown kill, leading to a kill from Emma McKinness, followed by a McKinness block point, and Marion led 8-1 in the third set.
A Brown ace pushed the Pats in front 13-3, and Fenter added the punctuation mark with a kill and an ace for two of Marion’s final three points.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Marion continues 5A East play on Thursday at Greene County Tech. If you can not attend that contest, you can watch for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network.
5A EAST RESULTS FROM 9/29
Marion 3, W. Memphis 0
Valley View 3, Searcy 0
Paragould 3, Greene Co. Tech 0
Nettleton 3, Beebe 1
5A EAST STANDINGS ON 9/30
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
Marion 9-1
Valley View 9-1
Paragould 7-2
Searcy 5-4
Greene Co. Tech 4-4
Nettleton 4-6
Batesville 2-7
Beebe 2-7
W. Memphis 0-10
5A EAST MATCHES ON 10/1
Marion at Greene Co. Tech
Valley View at W. Memphis
Paragould at Nettleton
Beebe at Searcy
Batesville is open.