Marion's volleyball program is universally recognized as one of the better ones in the state, so when the Patriots accomplish something that they've only done a handful of times, you pay attention. The Pats closed out their 2023 5A East schedule on Tuesday night with a straight-sets (25-8, 25-21, and 25-22) victory over Batesville inside 3M Transit Arena, clinching a 14-0 record against league competition this fall. It's just the fourth time in school history that Marion (22-6-1 overall, 14-0 5A East) has finished unbeaten in league play since the program's inception in 1996. The 12th conference championship in school history means that Marion will open its run at the 2023 Class 5A State tournament as the No. 1 seed from the 5A East. The Pats play in the first round of the single-elimination state tournament at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon against the No. 4 seed from the 5A Central. Should Marion win that ballgame, the Pats would advance to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. If the Pats win the quarterfinal match then they would play at 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon. If Marion makes the state title game, the Pats would play at 7 p.m., Saturday, October 28 at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. Prior to the Batesville ballgame, Marion recognized junior setter Maggie Miller, who set the school record for career assists last week. Miller then went on to register a match-high 35 assists and three aces against the Pioneers, while also finishing with 10 digs and three kills. Junior Alexa Shinabery racked up 11 digs and eight kills, and she also served an ace. Sophomore Abbi Simmons paced the Pats with 14 digs, while classmates Kennedy Bullins and Kaitlyn Austin paced the Pats with 12 kills apiece. Austin also stacked 12 digs, while sophomores Taylor Chamness (six digs and two aces) Reese Goodwin (three kills and a block) and freshman Kendall Brown (five kills and a block) also played well. Marion started fast on Tuesday night against Batesville, bolting to an early 9-2 lead as Bullins stacked three kills and a block, and Goodwin logged one of her own. Following a Batesville timeout, Miller promptly served aces on back-to-back plays to push the Pat advantage to 11-2, and Marion took its first double-digit lead (13-3) when Goodwin and Brown teamed for a block. Marion's lead was 20-7 when Miller set Brown and Austin for consecutive kills, and Miller capped off the spurt with a kill of her own. Bullins closed out Batesville down the stretch, logging consecutive kills before blocking a Pioneer kill attempt for a rousing 25-8 victory in the opener. But Batesville didn't back down from there, countering Marion at every turn in the second stanza. The teams split the first 18 points of the frame, but the Pats put together the first run of the frame when Miller set Bullins and Shinabery for kills before a Batesville hitting error gave Marion a 12-9 bulge. Batesville battled back to tie the score at 14, but Miller went back to work, setting Bullins before teaming with Shinabery on consecutive kills for a 17-14 lead that forced a Pioneer timeout. Aces were wild for Marion down the stretch as Bullins, Shinabery, and Chamness each scored on their serves, and Austin slammed the door with a kill that punctuated a four-point Marion victory. The Pioneers authored four three-point leads in the third set but Marion bounced back to tie the score at 11 when a Pioneer kill hit the antenna, and the Pats took just their second lead of the third set when Shinabery blocked a Batesville shot. Marion's lead hit 17-14 when Shinabery slammed home another kill, which led to kills by Austin and Goodwin for a 20-15 Patriot advantage. But Batesville battled back within 20-18 when Miller and Goodwin teamed up for a kill and Brown blocked another shot. Marion punted the Pioneers once and for all when Austin logged a kill and Bullins blocked a shot for a tense three-point victory. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion hosts Jonesboro Thursday for a junior varsity/varsity doubleheader that begins at 5 p.m. inside 3M Transit Arena. That contest will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. CLASS 5A STATE TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK Marion opens its run at this season's Class 5A state tournament at Searcy at 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 24 against the Sylvan Hills Bears (12-10 overall, 7-6 5A Central). Should Marion beat Sylvan Hills, the Pats would play at 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 25 in the quarterfinal against the winner of the Greenwood-Sheridan contest. Should Marion make the state semifinals, the Pats would play at 1 p.m., Thursday, October 26. Every Marion State tournament game at Searcy will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel. The Class 5A state championship game will be played at 7 p.m., on Saturday, October 28 at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. 5A EAST STANDINGS Marion 14-0*^ Valley View 11-3* Paragould 10-4* Batesville 8-6* Greene Co. Tech 5-9 Nettleton 4-10 Searcy 3-11 W. Memphis 1-13 *state tournament ^conference champ