Clara Parker could only watch from the sideline as the ball dropped on Jonesboro's side and Greenwood celebrated winning last season's Class 6A state volleyball championship.
Parker had suffered a calf injury in the third set and was eventually forced out of the match in the fourth set because of it.
CLARA PARKER
SCHOOL Jonesboro
CLASS Junior
HEIGHT 5-10
POSITION Outside hitter
NOTEWORTHY Daughter of Don and Lynn Parker. Verbally committed to play at Arkansas. Named Class 6A state tournament Most Valuable Player and also earned all-state honors for the state champion Lady Hurricane, who finished 32-3. Parker hit .340 with a team-high 413 kills to go with a team-best 43 service aces, 43 blocks (7 solos) and 316 digs (second on the team). She and partner, Cameron Hafner, also won the Class 5A state girls’ doubles title in tennis for the third consecutive year.
ALL-ARKANSAS PREPS VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Clara Parker, Jonesboro
FIRST TEAM
Player;Class;Pos.;School
Clara Parker;Jr.;OH;Jonesboro
Mikayla Johnson;Jr.;MB;Jonesboro
Abbi McGee;Sr.;S;Valley View
Emily Grace Calhoon;Sr.;MB;Valley View
Karli Ferguson;Sr.;MB;Conway
Kortney Puckett;Jr.;MB;Bentonville West
SECOND TEAM
Player;Class;Pos.;School
Bailey Tagupa;Sr.;S;Jonesboro
Camryn Presley;Jr.;MH;Greenwood
Ryleigh Hardwick;Sr.;OH;Paris
Zoey Beasley;Sr.;MB;Paragould
Lexi Richards;Sr.;OH;Shiloh Christian
Zoie Benton;Jr.;OH;Greenwood
ALL-UNDERCLASSMAN TEAM
Player;Class;Pos.;School
Avery Fitzgerald;So.;OH;Fort Smith Southside
Hannah Hogue;So.;S;Fort Smith Southside
Daedrianna Cail;Fr.;MH;Marion
Rosana Hicks;So.;OH;Fayetteville
Ashley Lamkin;So.;MB;Valley View
Kat Cooper;Fr.;MB;Springdale Har-Ber
COACH OF THE YEAR
Laura Crow, Conway
"It was heartbreaking, really," Parker said. "I think I wanted it so badly. We all did. Whenever I came down and my calf cramped up, I had this awful feeling in my stomach.
But the Lady Hurricane made the most of their second chance by sweeping Greenwood 3-0 in this year's state championship as the 5-foot-10 Parker finished with a match-high 15 kills and set the tone early at the net to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
The junior outside hitter, who has verbally committed to play at the University of Arkansas, has been honored as the All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year for her efforts.
Parker said she and her teammates took a couple weeks off from last year's loss, but they were already talking about not only returning to the finals, but winning a state title.
"We were already thinking about those things and said we were gonna do whatever it takes to get that ring," Parker said.
Parker sure did her part, finishing with a team-high 413 kills in 99 sets, averaging 4.2 kills per set with a .340 hitting percentage. That's a huge jump from a year ago when she hit .258 with a team-high 336 kills.
Jonesboro Coach Craig Cummings said a variety of factors increased the offensive production, including facing strong competition playing with the Jonesboro-based Arkansas Juniors Storm club team.
"The addition of a couple of inches on her vertical is significant," Cummings said. "Her being a lot stronger, she was able to put more heat on the ball. She also spent the [Junior Olympic] season with a nice team, and they had tremendous success for a team from a small population base.
"It was neat to see she's confident in a non-cocky way. Confident in her ability to compete."
Parker plays defense with the same intensity that she hammers a volleyball, too, Cummings said.
"She plays with her heart," Cummings said. "There will be one or two balls each game where you go, 'Oh my gosh. How did she get that?' You don't coach that. That comes from the heart."
Her maturity and leadership showed in her relationship with her teammates. Parker was happy accomplishing the state championship goal, but her thoughts were more on her senior teammates.
"That was an amazing feeling," Parker said. "Not only to get that ring, but I wanted to help make sure those seniors had the best memory they possibly could have. I get butterflies thinking about it again."
Sports on 11/11/2018