Marion volleyball wins 5-set clash with Jonesboro
Patriots looking to secure top seed in 5A state playoffs
By Chuck Livingstons
Marion School District
JONESBORO — The Marion volleyball team has made a habit of going the distance this fall, playing five-set matches three times entering the final week of the regular season.
Make it four.
Marion hit the road for its final non-conference match of the 2024 season Monday night and topped Class 6A Jonesboro in five sets (25-20, 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, and 1513) in the Pats’ first trip to the Jonesboro Athletic Facility.
Jonesboro (17-10 overall) won two of the first three sets and were poised to close Marion out in the fourth set by scoring three of the first four points.
Instead, Marion (21-7 overall, 12-2 5A East) ripped off six points in a row, highlighted by a pair of Kaitlyn Austin kills, two Jonesboro hitting errors, and two Alexa Shinabery aces to claim a 7-3 lead.
Marion never trailed again in the fourth set.
The Pats took their largest lead of the frame at 12-5 on a Maggie Miller ace, and Marion turned away Jonesboro down the stretch as Austin and Kendall Brown tallied two kills apiece to help the Pats to a five-point victory in the fourth frame.
The fifth set featured wild swings throughout with Jonesboro embarking on the first big run of the frame. The Golden Hurricane scored four points in a row to trigger a Marion timeout, and the Pats immediately responded with kills from Shinabery and Brown to work within a point. Marion finally got even with Jonesboro when Claire Brinkley set Aynslee Coad for a kill, and a Miller ace tied the score at 8.
With Jonesboro ahead 12-11, Miller hit Brinkley for a kill to tie the game, and Marion took a 13-12 lead on a Golden Hurricane hitting error.
Miller teamed with Shinabery to give Marion a 14-13 lead, and the Pats clinched victory on a Jonesboro net violation.
5A EAST STANDINGS
Marion 12-2 Valley View 12-2 Mountain Home 10-4 Greene Co. Tech 9-5 Batesville 9-6 Nettleton 4-10 Paragould 4-11 W. Memphis 2-10 Searcy 0-13
5A EAST MATCHES-10/24
Marion at Searcy West Memphis at Paragould Valley View at Greene County Mountain Home at Nettleton
Photo by Londa Hamrick
