HOT SPRINGS -- Fort Smith Southside fell short of winning a state volleyball title a year ago, but the Mavericks are back with a new head coach and a somewhat different cast of characters.
Natalie Throneberry, a former Southside standout, took over as head coach this season following the retirement of longtime coach Steve Haaser. She served as Haaser's assistant since 2010, so it wasn't a radical change, but a change nonetheless.
State High School Volleyball Finals
At Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs
Today’s Matches
Class 5A Jonesboro vs. Benton, 11 a.m.
Class 6A Bentonville vs. Fort Smith Southside, 1 p.m.
Class 2A Hackett vs. Crowley’s Ridge Academy, 3 p.m.
Class 3A Episcopal Collegiate vs. Fountain Lake, 5 p.m.
Class 4A Valley View vs. Brookland, 7 p.m.
Southside (31-5) comes into today's 1 p.m. Class 6A state finals against Bentonville on a roll. The Mavericks have won 26 of their last 27 matches and 18 in a row. The two teams are both conference champions with rich histories but didn't meet during the regular season this year.
Losing 10 seniors to graduation and a coach who had been around for 40 years, Throneberry credits the players for this year's success.
"I can take zero credit, this is the kids," said Throneberry, who helped lead Southside to two state titles as a player and was state tournament MVP in 2004. "We had every excuse to fall off, a change in culture and a change in chemistry -- we lost 10 seniors. They've jumped on board with everything I've asked. Gosh, this has been fun."
Junior setter Hannah Hogue, who has verbally committed to play at Arkansas, said the Mavericks are focused on claiming the ninth title in school history after losing in the finals last year.
"We're a very different team," Hogue said. "This whole week our word's kinda been redemption. We wanted to get back there. We have some stuff to prove from last year, so we're ready to go."
Bentonville (25-9) is making its first state finals appearance since the Lady Tigers won a title in 2014.
Bentonville coach Michelle Smith said this year's team is special.
"This team just doesn't have any drama," Smith said. "They manage to put out their own fires. They keep things light, funny. It's made for a really fun year."
Smith has taken the Lady Tigers to six finals with five titles in 13 years and she said every team is different and she's evolved with the way she handles those situations. There's no set formula, Smith said.
"I go in with the mentality 'what does this team need from me?'" Smith said. "There's been a lot of firsts with this team."
An example came at practice in the morning before Bentonville's semifinal match against Fayetteville. Smith said her team seemed nervous and decided to try something different.
"They were quiet and I thought 'I need to loosen them up'," said Smith, who played at Arkansas. "I decided I was going to go out and play with them. I never play with my teams. But they were laughing so hard. We had a blast and got in a good practice.
"It was what they needed and I think it was what I needed. If I'd gone in super strict with a list of things to do, I don't know if we would have won."
Sports on 11/02/2019