Undefeated Jonesboro proves too much for Benton in 5A matchup

HOT SPRINGS — Benton tried to rally after dropping the first two sets in the Class 5A state volleyball finals on Saturday, but Jonesboro never panicked.

The Lady Hurricane rallied from a nine-point deficit in the third set to earn the 25-15, 25-13, 28-26 victory and celebrate its third undefeated season in school history.

Jonesboro (35-0) trailed 15-6 after blowing through the first two sets, but slowly crept back and tied it at 19. Benton (32-4-1) turned back two championship points. However, senior middle hitter Mikayla Johnson put away back-to-back kills to claim back-to-back state titles.

Lady Hurricane coach Craig Cummings had confidence in his team, despite trailing big in the third set.

“I felt we had it and again it goes back to the heart of this team,” Cummings said. “And refusing to get worried when things around going your way, you chip away one point at a time. And as long as you have that approach you always have a shot.

“And they did it. They put themselves in that position.”

Senior Clara Parker, an Arkansas commit, earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors for the second consecutive year. She finished with 21 kills and 21 dig, both team-highs for Jonesboro. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter registered 18 kills in the final two sets.

But Parker had plenty of help. Johnson and Maggie Beth Horn added 12 kills each. Horn added 11 digs, while Rosalind Lutes and Kate

Gschwend chipped in 10 digs each to key the Jonesboro defense. Setter Kellen Church also dished out an incredible 57 assists.

Parker said the Lady Hurricane never thought about the undefeated season even when the wins mounted over the course of the season. It wasn’t a thought when Jonesboro trailed big in the third set either.

“We kinda dug ourselves a little bit of a hole,” Parker said. “I think we just had to keep in mind our backs weren’t against the wall. We had two sets on them at that point. We just had to play our game. We knew we’d come back eventually if we just played steady.”

Benton coach Michelle Shoppach said Jonesboro’s attack was a little too powerful.

“The game plan we put together, our kids were in the right spots,” Shoppach said. “They tried to make the plays. I think that extra burst of speed that the Jonesboro hitters have made a difference. We weren’t able to dig the ball as clean as we wanted and we weren’t able to come back with a set and run offense.

“I was very pleased with what we were able to do out of system. We did make Jonesboro have to play defense. They hammered us in the head a few times. We made a lot of adjustments and it would work for about three points. I thought our kids showed the grit we do have.”

Junior Hannah Brewer led Benton with 12 kills and 3.5 blocks, while Mary Grace Guerra finished with a matchhigh 29 digs. Lydia Buchannan dished out 31 assists.