MOUNTAIN HOME — Mountain Home advanced to its first volleyball state championship match since winning back-to-back titles in 1976-77 by fighting back from a five-point deficit late in the fourth game Thursday to defeat Benton 25-13, 25-18, 20-25, 26-24 in the semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament at The Hangar.
The Lady Bombers (25-4) will take on 6A-East Conference rival Marion in the championship match at 3 p.m. Saturday at Conway High School. Marion, which swept Mountain Home in their two regular-season meetings, defeated Jonesboro 3-0 in the other semifinal.
Mountain Home cruised to a 2-0 lead before the Lady Panthers (17-9) took the third game 25-20. Benton looked like it was going to send the match to a fifth and deciding game when it led 24-19 late in the fourth game, but the Lady Bombers scored the game’s final seven points to seal the victory.
“We never gave up,” Mountain Home Coach Lindsey Leonard said.
Benton had rallied from a 14-13 deficit by outscoring Mountain Home 8-1, getting two kills each from Alex Williams and Emily Morgan and a huge block by Kristen Ryan to go up 21-15. Mountain Home climbed back to within 22-19 on a kill by Emma Gist, but then it had a service error and Allison Reynolds had a kill as Benton took a 24-19 advantage.
Mountain Home finished with 50 kills and three blocks. Kapler had 17 kills and a block, Harrison had 15 kills, Hannah Cotter had nine kills and ablock and Gist had eight kills and two blocks.
Williams led Benton with 12 kills and a block, while Ryan had 11 kills and five blocks.
MARION 3, JONESBORO 0
The Lady Patriots (25-4) will play for their second consecutive state championship after defeating Jonesboro 25-21, 25-13, 25-21 on Thursday.
Harley Strayhorn, Marion’s 6-2 senior middle hitter, led the Lady Patriots again as she knocked down 21 kills, giving her 50 in two games in the state tournament.
Marion jumped out to a 9-3 lead early in the first game only to have Jonesboro rally back and take an 18-17 lead. Marion came back with a 6-1 run, going up 23-19 on a kill by Strayhorn, and won the game on a service error by Jonesboro.
The Lady Patriots never trailed in the second set, going up 9-1 on another kill by Strayhorn. A kill by Emily Burns give Marion its first 10-point lead of the match at 14-4 as the Lady Patriots went on to a 12-point victory.
In the third set, Jonesboro led by 13-9 on two consecutive aces by Ashley Pippin, but the Lady Patriots rallied again, winning on a dink by Strayhorn.
Sports, Pages 25 on 10/28/2011