Arkansas high school volleyball: 25 players to watch in 2024

Some of the top Arkansas high school volleyball players

Benton's Isabella Lagemann /

With volleyball season right around the corner, here is a list of 25 players to watch in Arkansas.

Statistics are from the 2023 season are either from online stat site or from coaches who submitted questionnaires and/or nominated players for SBLive’s all-state team last year. Comments are from their coaches when they nominated them for SB Live’s all-state team. The players are listed in alphabetical order.

Piper Batie, junior 6-1 setter, Fayetteville

Batie, who transferred from Gravette, has committed to the University of Missouri. At Gravette, she had 482 assists with 370 kills, 270 digs and 113 aces. She had a season-high 32 assists in a 3-1 victory over Lincoln, 22 kills in a 3-2 victory over Prairie Grove, 19 digs in a 3-1 victory over Clarksville and a season-high 6 aces in victories over Siloam Springs and Seneca, Mo.

PRESEASON TOP 25 ARKANSAS HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS

ARKANSAS HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SCORES

Ava Beasley, 5-10 sophomore outside hitter/setter, Paragould

With middle blockers Mikayla Lambert and Dixie Williams sidelined with torn ACLs, Beasley stepped in as a freshman didn’t play like one said Paragould head coach Reed Fogleman. She finished the season with 450 kills while hitting .234 with 31 blocks, 294 assists and 347 digs. She earned all-state and all-state tournament honors and was named to the AVCA’s phenom watch list. “She sees the floor well and developed some different shots throughout the season to help her score around the numerous defenses and triple blocks that were thrown at her,” said Fogleman.

“To coach a player with the caliber of talent that Ava already has as a freshman is a privilege.  She stepped up big for us in many games this season. Her work ethic, competitiveness, IQ of the game, and love for her team make her a special player that our program is fortunate to have.  She's going to be an exciting player to watch over the next three years.”

Chloe Blessing, 5-9 junior outside hitter, Shiloh Christian

Blessing had 474 kills with a .232 hitting percentage, 21 assists, 29 blocks and 284 digs. “Chloe was thrown into a 6-rotation starting position and played a key role all season for us.  She had to carry a heavy load for her first varsity season and played extremely well and didn't look like a sophomore,” said Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein.

Bella Bonanno, 5-7 senior libero, Shiloh Christian

Bonanno, who committed to Ole Miss, had 496 digs, 90 aces and 87 assists while earning all-state and all-state tournament honors. “Bella was the captain of the back row and was such a leader vocally as well as how she played this year.  She was consistent and steady.  She is nearing 2,000 digs in her career, and that speaks to how well she sees the court and how consistent she has been for us.  She is an elite player that makes it look easy,” said Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein.

Gracie Brown, 6-1 senior middle blocker, Bryant

Brown had 125 blocks, 46 aces and 256 kills while hitting .308. She earned all-state honors and has committed to Southeastern Louisiana. “Gracie's blocking gave lots of our opponents fits,” said Bryant head coach Leigh Ann Back. “She can hit from anywhere on the floor, including the back row. She is a well-rounded player.”

Kennedy Bullins, 6-1 junior middle blocker, Marion

Bullins had 371 kills with a .308 hitting percentage. She added 68 blocks, 129 digs and 14 assists while earning all-state, all-state tournament honors and was an AVCA phenom. “Kennedy is every coach's dream,” said Marion head coach Lisa Beasley. “She is always going to be one of the most athletic kids on the court, if not the best in my opinion.  She strives to be a great teammate, works her butt off in practice, in the weight room, and on the court.  What you see is what you get 110 percent of the time.  Kennedy truly elevates her teammates and makes everyone around her better.  She is one of the most coachable, humble, and respectful kids I have ever had the pleasure and honor to coach!”

Laila Creighton, 5-7 senior setter, Shiloh Christian

Creighton had 1,092 assists, 88 kills, 21 blocks and 225 digs while earning all-state and all-state tournament honors. “Laila took control of the offense this year after running a 6-2 last season.  She showed maturity with her decision making and led our offense extremely well.  This team had the highest hitting percentage in a while for Shiloh, and that speaks to the decision making of Laila (as well as how productive our hitters were).  She was steady this year and also made it look easy,” said Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein.

Madison Crum, 5-9 senior outside hitter, Greenbrier

Crum had 505 kills and 291 digs while earning all-state honors and committing to Missouri State. “Madison was our go-to hitter this year and carried that extremely well.  Even with teams focusing on stopping her, she still notched 505 kills for the year.  Beyond her stats, Madison brought out the best in her teammates and that is really what makes her such a valuable player,” said Greenbrier head coach Katie Huff.

Gabriela DuPree, senior outside hitter, Fort Smith Smith Southside

DuPree, a 3-year starter, demonstrated she could play all roles for the Lady Mavericks, who reached the state semifinals. She led the team in kills (353), was second in aces (35), second in digs (340) and had 70 assists and 43 blocks.

Makenzie Freeman, 6-1 senior outside hitter, Hackett

Freeman earned all-state and all-state tournament honors in leading the Lady Hornets to the Class 3A state finals. She led the Lady Hornets in aces with 102, had 421 kills while hitting .327 with 268 digs, 27 blocks and 49 assists. “When we needed a play, we always counted on Makenzie to get it done,” said Hackett head coach Bridget Freeman. “Although she has committed to play softball at Tulsa University and is an amazing pitcher, she is equally talented as a volleyball player.”

Michaelyn Freeman, 6-0 junior outside hitter, Hackett

Freeman was promoted as a freshman for the district and state tournament. In her first, full-time season on the varsity level, she finished with 433 kills, 274 digs, 60 aces, 61 assists and 19 blocks. She earned all-state honors and was named to the all-tournament team at the Fort Smith Invitational. “This year, she has absolutely killed it out there as a sophomore. Michaelyn is one of the strongest and fastest athletes on the court at any time.  She is a very explosive player who can put the ball down, puts up a huge block, and has great speed to track down a ball defensively,” said Hackett head coach Bridget Freeman.

Rachel Jackson, 5-5 senior libero, Baptist Prep

Jackson has committed to Arkansas State and earned all-state and all-state tournament honors in helping the Lady Eagles win the Class 3A state championship. She had 398 digs on the season and 99 aces She had a season-high 18 digs in a 3-0 victory over Hackett in the state championship match and a season-high 12 aces in a 3-0 victory over Jessieville.

Isabella Lagemann, 5-8 senior setter/right-side hitter, Benton

Lagemann, who was named MVP of the Class 5A state tournament, showed a variety of skills in helping the Lady Panthers win a second consecutive state title. She had 235 kills while hitting .268 with 54 aces, 239 digs, 237 assists and 68 blocks and has committed to playing at LSU.

Lauren Latham, 5-9 senior setter, Hot Springs Lakeside MTXE

Latham, who committed to Kansas State, earned all-state and all-state tournament honors for the Lady Rams, who shared the 5A-South Conference title with 5A state champion Benton. She had 45 aces, 181 kills, 64 blocks and 718 assists in 6-2 sets with 224 digs.

Miranda Leslie, 5-1 junior libero, Mayflower

Leslie had 561 digs on the season with 60 aces and 56 assists on the season. “I have done this 25 years, and she is simply the best libero I have coached, and is one of the most coachable,” said Mayflower head coach Monty Smith. “In 2019 I was fortunate enough to win a state championship at Episcopal. The MVP of the state was my libero. Miranda is better than her, right now.  She is incredibly hard working and selfless. She wants to be great but does not care about being a star. The most important stat for her is if we won or not. She would have started for any team in our conference, including Baptist Prep. She would have started against any opponent we played, and that includes the 6A schools. I won’t argue for any team in the state, I haven’t seen all of them, but she would give any a run for their money.”

Victoria Otter, 6-2 senior middle blocker, Bentonville

Otter had 350 kills and 120 blocks while earning all-state honors and has committed to Providence. She was named to the Bentonville Early Bird Tournament team. She had one match with 24 kills, two with 20 and two matches with 10 blocks.

Audrey Pender, 6-1 senior middle blocker, Shiloh Christian

Pender had 343 kills with a .332 hitting percentage. She added 73 blocks, 62 digs and 49 aces while earning all-state and all-state tournament honors. “Audrey had to sit out last season due to the AAA transfer rule from public to private school, and she showed us quickly what we were missing last season with her prowess at the net.  She is so smart and consistent, and an emotional leader for our team,” said Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein. 

Journey Peppers, 6-4 senior middle blocker, White Hall

Peppers, who committed to the University of Arkansas before the start of her junior year, finished the season with 84 blocks. She had a .302 hitting percentage and had 35 aces.

Lydia Pitts, senior middle blocker/setter, Fort Smith Southside

Pitts is a middle blocker but displayed a variety of skills for Lady Mavericks. She led the team in aces with 36, blocks with 99 and assists with 459. She was second on the team in kills with 291 and third in digs with 213 and was an all-around threat said Fort Smith Southside head coach Natalie Throneberry.

Evan Polsgrove, 5-9 senior outside hitter, Brookland

Polsgrove had 355 kills, 35 aces and 259 digs, earning all-state and all-state tournament team honors. ”Evan leads us in kills most every match this season,” said Brookland head coach Nancy Rodriguez. “She is as good of a defender as she is a hitter.”

Chloe Rodriguez, 5-11 senior setter, Brookland

Rodriguez had 1,057 assists, 109 kills, 269 digs, 52 aces and 31 blocks for the Bearcats, who repeated as Class 4A state champions. She also earned all-state and all-state tournament team honors and has committed to Northwest Mississippi Community College. “Chloe excelled in many areas outside of being a setter,” said Brookland head coach Nancy Rodriguez. “She ran a very efficient and balanced offense and was key to our success this season.”

Ryan Rusher, 5-11 senior outside hitter, Baptist Prep

Rusher, who recently committed to Louisiana Tech, earned all-conference and all-state tournament honors with 261 kills and a .238 hitting percentage. She had a season-high 13 kills in a 3-0 victory over Greenwood and in the state championship match. She had 54 aces with a season-high 6 in a 3-0 victory over Central Arkansas Christian. She had 240 digs, including a season-high 10 in the state championship and in a 1-1 tie against Russellville.

Emma Kate Vertz, 5-7 senior setter, Prairie Grove

Vertz had 45 aces, 100 kills, 242 digs and 815 assists for the Lady Tigers, who reached the second round of the Class 4A state tournament where she earned all-state honors.

Kaylee Ward, 6-4 junior middle blocker, Mansfield

Ward had 385 kills, 54 aces, 68 digs and 88 blocks earning all-state and all-state tournament team honors.

Reese Wilburn, 5-4 senior setter, Bryant

Wilburn 442 assists, playing in a 6-2 offense with 29 aces and 181 digs while earning all-conference honors and committing to TCU. “Reese is one half of a 6-2 offense that had over 700 assists for the season,” said Bryant head coach Leigh Ann Back. “She is a calming influence on the court.”

-- Jeff Halpern