One of the bedrocks of Marion's better volleyball teams through the years has been a stout defense, from blockers at the net to a disciplined back row. Five matches into 2024, and this edition of Patriot Volleyball is no different. Marion throttled up its preventative measures on Thursday afternoon inside 3M Transit Arena, playing one of its better games so far this season in a three-set victory over Batesville (25-10, 25-17, and 25-18). “I thought our serve/receive was excellent, we got to a lot of balls and made good passes,” said Marion coach Lisa Beasley. “We played a bunch of players tonight, and they all played well. Abby Simmons and Kaitlyn Austin have been lights out all year, and tonight was the same. I was really happy.” Marion (5-0 overall, 3-0 5A East) flexed its defensive chops in the first set against Batesville (1-2, 1-2), limiting the Pioneers to 10 points, and allowing consecutive points just one time. The Patriots scored four straight points early in the first set as Maggie Miller found Kennedy Bullins twice for kills, and Marlee Williams once, and the hosts led 4-1. With the set tied at 7 apiece, Marion ripped off seven of the next eight points to pull away. The run started with kills from Alexa Shinabery, Kendall Brown, and Aynslee Coad, followed by a pair of Pioneer hitting errors, and when Claire Brinkley delivered assists to Coad and Austin, Marion led 14-8 as Batesville called for time. After the stoppage, Marion showed its prowess serving the ball as Brown, Miller, and Austin all served aces, the latter giving Marion a 17-10 lead. From there, Miller hit Bullins twice and Williams once for kills as Marion closed out a tidy 25-10 victory in the opener. But Batesville did not back down in the second stanza as the teams split the first 14 points of the window. Marion went on the first run when Shinabery came up with back-to-back kills, followed by kills from Miller and Austin, an Austin block, and after Batesville hit the antenna, the visitors called time trailing 19-13. Batesville worked within 21-18 after three kills from Serenity Patterson, but Marion slammed the door behind a pair of kills from Williams, and a Brown block. Marion fashioned another fast start in the third set, taking the lead for good when Brown handled Batesville's serve, and sent a good pass to Brinkley, who rifled it back to Brown for a kill and a 2-1 Marion lead. A Shinabery ace preceded kills from Austin and Brown, the latter giving the hosts a 7-1 advantage. Batesville worked back within four points (22-18) late in the third, but Marion slammed the door as Miller recorded a kill, Coad registered a block and a kill for consecutive points, the last of which gave Marion its final margin of victory at 25-18. The Patriots now turn their attention to defending their title at the annual River City Classic in Bartlett, TN., this weekend. “We know it will be a good, competitive tournament with teams that play a bunch of different styles,” said Beasley. “We like it because you get to see some different players and schemes. It will be a good challenge. Our team wants to see how they stack up against some of the teams from over there.” Marion jumps back into conference play Tuesday night at Paragould in a contest that will be broadcast live on MarionPatriots.com, on the MPAN YouTube channel, and on the MPAN mobile app. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 9/5 Marion 3, Batesville 0 Mountain Home 3, W. Memphis 0 Greene Co. Tech 3, Nettleton 0 Paragould 3, Searcy 1 5A EAST MATCHES ON 9/10 Marion at Paragould Mountain Home at Batesville Searcy at Greene Co. Tech Valley View at W. Memphis Nettleton is open.