When Kennedy Phelan and the Fayetteville volleyball team walked into Bank Ozk Arena in Hot Springs, Ark., they felt at home. The stage for the Class 6A state championship was just how they left it.
On Saturday, the two-time defending state champions set out to defend their title, and with Phelan at the helm, the Bulldogs won 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-18) against Southside for their third title in a row. Phelan was once again named state tournament MVP after registering 37 assists, 18 digs and seven kills.
“The last two years, it was kind of a dog fight. We didn’t know who was going to win,” said the senior setter, who was also named JWS Player of the Week in the aftermath of the state title. “This year, we’ve kind of had a target on your back. It was a different kind of pressure when you’re the seniors, you’re undefeated, you’re supposed to win this game. There were a little bit of nerves.”
The Bulldogs have quite the impressive resume, crossing off every goal they set at the start of the season. The team was consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally, most recently landing at No. 7 in the JWS volleyball team rankings.
Fayetteville was undefeated against…
