BATESVILLE --- Marion has earned the attention of the state during its opening run through 5A East play. A conference-opening victory over Valley View is one thing, but running roughshod over the rest of the league to the tune of a 6-0 start and 16 consecutive set victories is quite another. Marion put that hot stretch of play on the line Thursday night when the Patriots rekindled one of its oldest volleyball rivalries by traveling to Batesville for a showdown with a bunch of playoff-hopeful Pioneers. Batesville snapped Marion's 16-set winning streak in the opener, but the Pats bounced right back after that, turning away the Pioneers in four sets (24-26, 25-17, 25-21, and 25-16). With the victory, Marion completes its first run through league action with a perfect 7-0 record. The Patriots begin their second cycle through the round-robin Tuesday evening with a road date at second-place Valley View at Blazer Arena. The Valley View contest will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. Marion will participate this weekend at the prestigious Hot Springs tournament featuring some of the top teams in the state. The victory at Batesville was welcome to a revenge-minded group of Patriots who fell last fall in five sets in Independence County. “This win was really important to all of us tonight,” said junior Alexa Shinabery, who racked up 12 digs with five kills at Batesville. “We knew we had we had to get it to get one step closer to our goal.” “I'm so proud of our team,” said junior Maggie Miller, who recorded a match-high 34 assists with 10 digs and two kills. “This win was huge for us. Undefeated through the first round of conference play feels amazing.” Marion sophomore Abbi Simmons led the Pats with 26 digs, while Kaitlyn Austin racked up 109 At first, it didn't seem like Marion would have to play four sets at Batesville. The Pats showed little to no signs of bus fatigue once they hit the court, taking an early 9-5 lead following three straight points, highlighted by kills from Kennedy Bullins, Kendall Brown, and Kaitlyn Austin. Batesville battled back to tie the set at 14 apiece, but Marion scored the next three points as the Pioneers called for time. Marion clung to a three-point lead into the later stages of the set, and the Pats achieved set point at 24-22 following a Miller-to-Bullins connection, but Batesville scored the last four points of the set to steal the opener and snapped Marion's 16-set winning streak in league action. But the Pats proved resilient in set No. 2, breaking a 2-2 tie early on with six straight points. The run started when Miller set Austin for a kill, followed immediately by three Austin kills in four points, the fourth coming on a Bullins block. When Marion's lead hit 11-5, Batesville called for time. Marion took a nine-point lead three times in the second set, including kills from Austin, Shinabery, Bullins, and Brown. Brown played closer in that set, blocking a shot and posting consecutive kills to give Marion an eight-point victory. The third set was tight to start as the teams split the first 22 points of the stanza, and Marion strung together three points in a row as Miller found Brown, Bullins, and Austin for kills. Neither team gave an inch down the stretch as the teams were tied at 20 apiece, but Marion finally pulled ahead for good when a Batesville kill went out, Brown and Austin notched kills, and Bullins clinched victory for Marion when she threw down a free ball for a kill and a four-point victory in the third set. Marion didn't rest on its laurels in the fourth set, taking an early 5-2 lead behind two kills and a block by Bullins, and two kills from Austin. Miller kept the offense moving throughout set No. 4, handing out 11 assists in that frame alone, as the Pats clung to their lead. The junior set for Brown, Austin, and Bullins for three straight points before a kill of her own gave the visitors a 13-7 advantage, and Batesville had to call time when the Marion lead grew to 18-9. Shinabery and Brown went off down the stretch, recording two kills apiece, while Austin and Bullins also tallied kills as Marion bounced Batesville with a 25-16 decision. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion (13-4 overall, 7-0 5A East) plays this weekend in the competitive Hot Springs Tournament before jumping back into 5A East play Tuesday night at Valley View (11-4 overall, 6-1 5A East). The seventh-grade match at Valley View begins at 4:30, followed by the junior high varsity contest, and then the high-school varsity contest. The Valley View contest will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 9/21 Marion 3, Batesville 1 Paragould 3, W. Memphis 0 Greene Co. Tech 3, Nettleton 2 Valley View 3, Searcy 0 5A EAST STANDINGS AFTER 9/21 GAMES Marion 7-0 Valley View 6-1 Paragould 4-3 Batesville 4-3 Greene Co. Tech 4-3 Nettleton 2-5 Searcy 1-6 W. Memphis 0-7