HOT SPRINGS -- Bentonville Coach Michelle Smith just told her team they needed to calm down after dropping the first set in the Class 6A state volleyball finals on Saturday afternoon.
Bentonville took their coach's advice, settled down and rolled in the final three sets for a 16-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-18 victory at Bank OZK Arena.
"When I brought them around to the second side I told them 'Hey, just another day at the office,' " said Smith, who improved to 6-1 in state finals. "We just need to play and relax and have fun."
The Lady Tigers (25-6) got in front early in each of the last three sets and pulled away for the victory against a red-hot Southside team which came in riding an 18-match winning streak.
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Senior outside hitter Savanna Riney, who earned MVP honors, said playing in their first state final got the best of the Lady Tigers early.
"I think we psyched ourselves out, then we trusted each other," Riney said. "We basically were just getting our nerves out because we had never played in anything this big."
Riney led a potent Bentonville attack with a match-high 19 kills, while Maddie Breed added 13 and Trinity Hamilton 12 as the Lady Tigers, who claimed their sixth state title in school history, hit a sizzling .336. Libero Kloey Eakin anchored the defense with a match-high 22 digs, but she had help, too. Riney and Hamilton added 12 apiece and Jamie Myrick chipped in 13 digs and a team-high three aces.
Smith didn't second-guess herself either after losing the first set.
"Any time you're down a game in the state championship you get a little worried, if you've done something wrong or do you need to mix it up?' Smith said. "That's when I sat back and thought 'Hey, it's worked this long. I'm not gonna make magic by switching up lineups.' "
She also told Riney they would put a load on her shoulders and the senior delivered.
"We knew in tight moments all year that Savanna was our girl," Smith said. "I just looked at her and said 'They're gonna find you where ever you are.' She produced today and stayed calm like always."
Southside Coach Natalie Throneberry said the Mavericks, who are state runner-up for the second consecutive season, are usually able to get opponents out of system thanks to a strong service game. But Bentonville was up to the task.
"Typically we are a pretty tough serving team and we didn't have many aces today," Throneberry said. "They passed very well. I was really impressed. They kept us out of system serving wise. They started swinging more effectively. Our defense had trouble picking them up.
"Getting back to the finals two years in a row, I'm not gonna hang my head for a second."
Avery Fitzgerald, a 6-0 junior outside hitter, led the Mavericks (31-6) with 13 kills and three aces, while Hannah Hogue added 31 assists, 13 digs and 5 blocks. Aleigha Johnson was also strong at the net with six kills and six blocks.
Sports on 11/03/2019