Four Marion Patriot volleyball players earned postseason awards after helping their team to a 24-4 overall record in 2026, including a share of the 5A East conference title, the No. 1 playoff seed, and a fifth appearance in the state quarterfinals in six seasons.
Seniors Claire Brinkley, Kendall Brown and Marlee Williams garnered spots on the Arkansas Activities Association’s (AAA) all-state list, while classmate Annabelle White joined Brinkley, Brown and Williams on the 5A East all-conference team.
Marion head coach Lisa Beasley earned her 14th conference Coach of the Year award after her team won the 15th conference title in program history this fall.
Brinkley capped an uber-productive varsity career for Marion volleyball by finishing in the top 5 on the club this fall in aces served (29), third in digs (289), and pacing the Patriots with a staggering 832 assists as a senior. Brinkley joined the 1,000-assist club in September and was first or second on the club in assists in each of her three varsity seasons. Brinkley was a three-year letter-winner for Marion, a two-time all-conference honoree, and a 2026 all-state selection.
Brown capped one of the more productive careers in Marion volleyball history with another banner season in 2026. The Alabama A&M commit earned her fourth varsity letter this fall, while landing on the AAA’s all-state team for a third time, and she garnered her fourth all-conference nod. Brown led Marion in 2026 with 331 kills, ranked third with 51 aces served, and she finished second on the team with 294 digs, all while rarely leaving the floor.
Williams earned a second straight all-conference nod and her third varsity letter, after putting together her finest season as a senior. The Northwest Mississippi commit ranked second on Marion with 273 kills, and she led the club with 59 aces served and 53 blocks.
White emerged this fall as the team’s starting libero after spending the previous two seasons as a standout defensive specialist. The Henderson State commit led Marion in 2026 with 306 digs; she finished fourth with 40 aces served, and she ranked second in assists with 79. White rotated heavily as a sophomore before earning all-conference honors in 2025 on Marion’s Class 5A state championship team.
Beasley’s 31st season as Marion’s head volleyball coach saw the Patriots open the campaign 17-1 overall en route to the fifth 5A East championship or co-championship in six seasons.
Two of Marion’s losses in 2026 came to Tennessee Division II-AA state champion Briarcrest Christian, with another coming to eventual Arkansas Class 5A state champion Mount St. Mary in the state quarterfinals. The Pats’ fourth loss came at 5A East co-champion and eventual Class 5A runner-up Valley View.
Marion earned 14 victories over teams that qualified for their postseason this fall, including eventual Class 4A state champion Brookland, Class 5A runner-up Valley View, Class 4A quarterfinalist Westside and Tennessee state quarterfinalist Collierville.
The Pats capped their 2026 campaign by winning their 26th straight game at home, dating to October 2024.
Marion volleyball’s senior class won 75 games over the past three seasons with three 5A East conference titles, two trips to the state quarterfinals, and the 2025 Class 5A state championship, the fourth state title in Marion school history.