Marion has one of the better home-court advantages in the state of Arkansas for volleyball, whether the Patriots play at 3M Transit Arena or at Fidelity Bank Arena.
To win the 5A East for the fifth time in six years, they’ll need to keep it that way.
Marion took a big step towards doing just that on Tuesday night, when the Patriots dismissed Beebe in three sets (25-17, 25-7, 25-10) at 3M Transit Arena.
It was the 20th victory this fall for MHS, marking the seventh straight season that the Patriots have won 20 games or more.
Marion has already clinched its spot in the 2026 Class 5A state volleyball tournament in Farmington, but the Patriots can still finish anywhere from the No. 1 playoff seed to the No. 4 seed with three conference matches left on the schedule.
The Patriots host Batesville on Thursday, October 15, at 3M Transit Arena before traveling on Tuesday, October 20, to Paragould, and MHS wraps its 2026 regular season on Thursday, October 22, against Searcy, also at 3M Transit Arena.
Marion seniors Marlee Williams (10 kills), Kendall Brown (7 kills) and Bren Sutton (6 kills) led all Patriot attackers. Williams was also tops with 4 aces served, while Alli Sharp and Mallorie Sharp finished with 2 apiece. Mallorie Sharp and Annabelle White led the way with 9 digs apiece, while Brown tallied 7. Claire Brinkley paced the Pats with 26 aces, while White had 4.
Marion (20-3 overall, 12-1 5A East) immediately hit the visiting Badgers with a 4-1 run to open the first set behind a Brinkley kill and an Alli Sharp ace, but the Badgers never trailed by more than five points until later in the set.
The Patriots pulled away when Williams and Brown slammed kills, the latter giving Marion a 20-13 lead to force a Badger timeout.
Beebe got within four, but Marion turned the visitors away with a Brown kill and a Sutton block point to clinch an eight-point conquest.
Mallorie and Alli Sharp served aces as Brown and Williams came up with kills to highlight a Marion 8-1 run to start the second stanza, and a Williams ace gave Marion its first double-digit lead at 12-2.
Two kills from Taylor Ruffin and one from Sutton allowed Marion to easily close out a 25-7 decision in the second.
Williams and Brown powered the Pats to start the third frame, each recording a kill and an ace, and when White served her second ace of the night, Marion led 17-7.
Fenter recorded two kills late in the third set, and Brown clinched victory for the hosts as Marion took down a 15-point victory for its 20th win.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Patriots host Batesville on Thursday, October 15 at 3M Transit Arena before traveling on Tuesday, October 20 to Paragould, and MHS wraps its 2026 regular season on Thursday, October 22 against Searcy, also at 3M Transit Arena.
You can watch all three of Marion’s final regular-season matches, as well as any matches at the Class 5A state volleyball tournament in Farmington, for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network.
5A EAST RESULTS FROM 10/13
Marion 3, Beebe 0
Paragould 3, Batesville 0
Searcy 3, Greene Co. Tech 0
Nettleton 3, W. Memphis 2
5A EAST STANDINGS ON 10/14
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
Marion 12-1*
Valley View 12-1*
Paragould 10-2*
Searcy 9-4*
Greene Co. Tech 6-8
Nettleton 5-9
Batesville 3-9
Beebe 2-11
W. Memphis 0-14
*clinched playoff spot
5A EAST MATCHES ON 10/15
Batesville at Marion
Valley View at Beebe
Paragould at Searcy
Greene Co. Tech at Nettleton
W. Memphis is open.