As the crowded 5A East race hits the midseason point, the Marion Patriots hope to use their home court as a launching pad to a second league title in three seasons, and the 12th in school history. The first step in that endeavor came Tuesday afternoon when the Patriots dismissed an improved Searcy outfit in straight sets (25-20, 25-17, and 25-15) inside the friendly confines of 3M Transit Arena. Marion (12-4 overall, 6-0 5A East) won its 16th consecutive set in league competition against Searcy (7-9, 1-5), dating to the Pats' league-opening five-set thriller over Valley View in late August. Marion's service game gave it a lift against Searcy on Tuesday, when the Patriots recorded 10 aces, including four from sophomore Kennedy Bullins, two apiece from junior Maggie Miller and sophomore Taylor Chamness, and one apiece from sophomore Abbi Simmons and classmate Kaitlyn Austin. Bullins paced the Pats with 13 kills, freshman Kendall Brown stacked six, junior Alexa Shinabery logged five, and Austin did her part with four. Simmons recorded a team-high 10 digs, while Austin finished with nine, and Miller and Chamness logged eight apiece. Miller handed out a match-high 22 assists. Searcy earned an early 4-2 lead in the opening set, and the Lions clung to a two-point lead throughout that frame. Marion got it going late, tying the set for the fifth time on a net violation, and the Pats took their first lead since 2-1 when Bullins logged back-to-back blocks for a 16-14 advantage, and when Miller found Brown for a kill, Marion led 19-15 as Searcy called for time. The Pats got help from many players down the stretch as Bullins logged a kill, a block, and an ace, Reese Goodwin, Austin, and Brown stacked killed, and when Searcy committed an error, the Pats had taken the first set. Marion hit the gates fast in the second set, scoring five of the first six points, and when Bullins took advantage of a free ball for a kill for a 5-1 lead, Searcy called time. But the Lions fought back after the stoppage to tie the set at 5 apiece, but the Pats ran off from there as Austin and Bullins turned Miller passes into assists, Miller served an ace, and Searcy burnt its final timeout of the second stanza with Marion ahead 12-5. Searcy battled back within 20-16 following an ace, but Bullins emerged as Marion's closer down the stretch, logging a kill, and serving a pair of aces. Marion clinched victory when Miller found Brown for a kill and an eight-point conquest in set No. 2. Marion jumped Searcy in the third set when the hosts never trailed. Miller started the party with a kill, Brown blocked a Searcy shot, Bullins served an ace, and following a Chamness ace, the Patriot advantage was 9-4 as Searcy burned a timeout. The respite helped Searcy find its footing as the Lions got within 10-8 to force a Marion timeout, and the visitors tied the set at 10 apiece following the stoppage. From there, Marion pulled away as Bullins recorded a pair of kills and a block as Marion pushed ahead 15-10. Bullins, Austin, and Miller recorded kills and Simmons served an ace as the Marion lead swelled to 20-10. The Pats put the Lions away late as Shinabery registered a kill, Bullins served an ace, and Brown's final of her four blocks gave Marion a 10-point set victory that capped another Patriot sweep in league action. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion travels on Thursday to Batesville to complete the initial run of the 5A East round-robin schedule. The junior varsity/varsity doubleheader will begin at 4:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. 5A EAST RESULTS FOR 9/19 Marion 3, Searcy 0 Valley View 3, Nettleton 0 Batesville 3, W. Memphis 0 Paragould 3, Greene Co. Tech 1 5A EAST STANDINGS ON 9/20 Marion 6-0 Valley View 5-1 Batesville 4-2 Paragould 4-2 Greene Co. Tech 3-3 Nettleton 2-4 Searcy 1-5 W. Memphis 0-6 5A EAST GAMES ON 9/21 Marion at Batesville (watch at MarionPatriots.com and the MPAN YouTube channel) Paragould at W. Memphis Nettleton at Greene Co. Tech Valley View at Searcy