The Southside Maverick volleyball team is known to uphold a standard of excellence established through decades of hardworking, dedicated girls who are committed to seeing the program succeed and grow. This season proved to be no different, with the Mavs wrapping up their successful season in the semifinals of the annual state tournament. Beginning with tryouts in March and practices starting in early July, the team was preparing to make their season as long as possible.
“I feel like summer practices effectively prepare us for the season because every practice is focused on being driven, intense, and beneficial. Everyone on the team strives for a good practice which in return results in us having high expectations during games and the season,” junior outside hitter Meg Lux said.
With the regular season kicking off on August 17 with a win over Prarie Grove, the girls began to see their practice lead to improvement. Leading into conference play the following week, the Mavs continued to show their dominance over the 6A West. The girls only dropped two conference matches all season, both to the Fayetteville Bulldogs, ending with a conference record of 14-2 and as conference runner-ups.
“Finishing the season with a winning record in conference play and only dropping two games felt incredibly rewarding. We poured our hearts into every game, fought fiercely, and had a blast along the way. I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved as a team,” senior outside hitter Reyleigh Twist said.
Every year, one of the most anticipated matchups for the team and their supporters is the rivalry game between Southside and Northside. This season, the Mavericks pulled out wins against Northside in both games.
“We all had an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when we beat northside. It’s hard to be happy when you are competing against your friends. But in the moment we all came together as a team and did what we had to do,” junior setter Mileah Neal said.
The state tournament serves as the ultimate goal and motivator for the team throughout the season, and because of the dominant performance given by the girls all year, they were awarded the second seed for the 6A West side of the bracket. The Mavs moved through the first round of the tournament with a bye and continued in the quarterfinals by taking a 3-0 victory over Central. This led the Mavs to the last match of their season against the Conway Wampus Cats. This semifinal match ended in a 3-1 Conway win, but the game was competitive and the Mavs made sure to leave their best effort on the court.
“It was very emotional. It was tough going into it, because we knew we had to battle since they were a tough team. We had to fight, but it was very sad at the end because we lost,” sophomore libero Ella Shelby said.
Despite not reaching the state finals, the Mavs proved to have an impressive season. In addition to the successes throughout the year, many Southside players were awarded post-season honors. Members of the 6A West All-Conference team include Sophia Neihouse, Lydia Pitts, Gabriela DuPree, and Ella Shelby. Gabriela DuPree and Lydia Pitts also made their mark as members of the 6A All-State and All-State Tournament teams. Seniors recognized for their pursuits in the classroom and on the court include Sophia Neihouse, Karlie Biggs, Felicity Suggs, Reyleigh Twist, and Anna Durham. Finally, two girls from the squad decided to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level, with Reyleigh Twist committing to Southwest Baptist University and Sophia Neihouse committing to Butler Community College.
