The Marion Patriots had won nine straight sets on the way to a flawless 3-0 start to 5A East play so far this fall, but Paragould had other plans on Tuesday evening.
A game Rams outfit invaded Fidelity Bank Arena and pushed the Pats to the brink in the second set, even taking an 18-12 lead.
But Marion proved its mettle from there, rallying for a 28-26 victory in that second stanza to earn a three-set victory (25-16, 28-26, and 25-10) over Paragould.
That victory sets the stage for Marion's first match of 2025 against Valley View, scheduled for Thursday inside Blazer Arena in Jonesboro. A three-match night kicks off at 4:30 p.m., and you can watch the Marion-Valley View varsity match for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel.
Marion (9-2 overall, 4-0 5A East) got 14 kills from Kendall Brown, while Kennedy Bullins stacked 11, and Kaitlyn Austin finished with nine. Brown served a pair of aces, while Bullins and Austin had one apiece. Jaida Sturdivant came up with a block point, while Austin (13), Abby Simmons (10), and Brown (seven) led the team in digs. Claire Brinkley (18) and Taylor Chamness (17) were the leading assist players against Paragould.
Marion took early leads of 4-1 and 8-3 against Paragould in the opening set, and following a Simmons kill, the Rams called their first timeout, trailing 14-8.
But the Patriots scored the next three points after the stoppage, featuring kills by Austin and Bullins, the latter of which forced Paragould's second timeout as Marion led 17-8.
Paragould got within 18-13 later on, but Marion closed out behind Sturdivant's block point, and kills from Bullins and Brown for a nine-point margin.
But Paragould was undeterred in the second stanza, scoring four straight points for an 8-4 advantage.
The Ram run continued until the visitors led 18-12 and forced a Marion timeout.
Following the stoppage, Marion got two kills from Brown and one from Sturdivant, part of a 4-0 run that forced a Paragould timeout with the score 18-16.
Marion finally completed the comeback when Brinkley found Brown for a kill, which evened the score at 21 apiece.
Paragould scored the next two points for a 23-21 advantage, forcing Marion's last timeout of the second.
A Brown kill and a Ram hitting error got Marion even at 24, and when Brown slammed down another kill, the Patriots led 25-24, and a Reese Goodwin kill pushed the Pats back in front 26-25.
An Austin kill and a Ram hitting error accounted for the last two points of the game, giving Marion a dramatic 28-26 victory in the second set and a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-three match.
The Pats seemingly carried the momentum over to the third set after the thrilling finish to the second, scoring four of the first six points as Goodwin, Brown, Bullins, and Austin came up with kills.
Back-to-back kills from Brown and Austin gave Marion a 10-4 lead and forced a Paragould timeout, and the Pats took their first double-digit lead (14-4) when Sturdivant pounded a kill.
Marlee Williams, Aynslee Coad, and Bullins came up with kills on three straight points for a 20-8 Patriot lead, and a Chamness ace capped off a dominant Marion victory in the third set.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Marion travels on Thursday to play Valley View, and you can watch that varsity match for free on the MPAN YouTube channel. The first of three matches begins at 4:30 p.m., with the varsity scheduled for around 6:15.
5A EAST RESULTS FROM 9/9
Marion 3, Paragould 0
Valley View 3, W. Memphis 0
Greene Co. Tech 3, Searcy 0
Mountain Home 3, Batesville 0
Nettleton did not play a conference match.
5A EAST STANDINGS ON 9/10
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
MARION 4-0
Valley View 3-0
Greene Co. Tech 3-1
Paragould 2-2
Mountain Home 2-2
Nettleton 1-2
Batesville 1-3
Searcy 0-3
W. Memphis 0-3
5A EAST MATCHES ON 9/11
Marion at Valley View
Paragould at Greene Co. Tech
Nettleton at Batesville
Searcy at W. Memphis
Mountain Home does not play a conference match.