In this early 2025 high school volleyball season, Mansfield received its toughest challenge to date. A "very scrappy” Thaden High School gave the 3A-1 conference leader its first set loss of the season. However, Mansfield self corrected on the road to prevail 3-1 over the independent school district tucked away in downtown Bentonville.
“They were very scrappy and competitive,” messaged Mansfield head volleyball coach Kaylie Pyles after the September 4 road trip. “We let a set go that we should not have because we relaxed after the first one, but the girls got the job done and won the game.”
Pyles was referring to the second set as the one that got away. The host school got on a roll and began finding holes in the visitor’s defense.
‘We really weren’t playing the best defense against Thaden,” confessed Mansfield sophomore setter/outside hitter Adeline Godwin. “They just kept hitting in places we weren’t.
“In the third and fourth sets of the game, we really just tried to not get down on ourselves,” the tenth grade starter continued. “We started hitting the ball making Thaden have to play defense against our top hitters such as Miley Clopton and Kaylee Ward.”
Clopton, a 5’ 7” sophomore outside hitter, has been swinging with consistency from the left side for the Lady Tigers. Ward, a 6’ 4” middle blocker, has been a terror at the net as a first option for the Tiger offense. In this game, the two heated up to give Mansfield a well needed offensive surge.
Over all the points played out this way. Mansfield took the first set at a comfortable 25-14 clip. Thaden got the train rolling in the second set squeezing by what Pyles described as a relaxed defense for the 21-25 decision.
Mansfield woke up in the third and the fourth. Tuning in on the positive vibes, the team began working well as a unit. Some of those holes in the defense were shored up and that better positioned defense converted into stronger offense leading to the Lady Tigers taking the last two sets 25-16 and 25-12.
Senior Daisey Nelson, Mansfield’s libero, found her rhythm in the back row to depress the Barnstormer’s attack. Similarly, sophomore defensive specialist Bailey Quick, another sophomore, helped the Tiger defensive transition make plays.
Starters Abby Smith, Whitely Boyd, and Kamryn Infalt added to the league leaders’ team cohesiveness. Smith offered up consistent serves as did Infalt. Boyd helped from the right side as a blocker as did Danielle Lowery who rotated in as a regular middle blocker.
The victory puts Mansfield in the driver’s seat as far as 3A-1 conference play. The Tigers are 4-0 half way through the first round rotation of the 8 team league. Lavaca, Mansfield’s Tuesday night conquest, is 3-1. Thaden, Providence Academy, Charleston and Lincoln all have 2-2 conference records going into the weekend.
Mansfield was scheduled for a non-conference game at Pottsville on September 8. Then conference opponents West Fork and Lincoln followed on the Tuesday - Thursday regular district nights leading into a Northside Tournament by the weekend.
“We are looking forward to playing Pottsville next week because they are ranked high in 4A and are pretty competitive and talented,” said Pyles in anticipation of the Monday showdown on September 8.
Godwin echoed her coach’s sentiments in very similar terms. “I’m just excited to get to see where we rank against top teams in the state,” revealed Godwin. “I think we can really compete and make a statement to everyone that we are a force to be reckoned with.”
Mansfield players and coaches will get their chance as their undefeated team plays four nights from September 8 - 13 including the Northside Invitational that runs all day Saturday.
“Next weekend will be a great challenge for us,” noted Pyles. “We will be in the Northside Tournament on Saturday with lots of big teams that are ranked across the state.”
Mansfield’s junior high also remained undefeated with their conference win against Thaden. The junior Lady Tigers beat the Barnstormers 25-13 and 25-19.
Kinlee Winters and Allie Hattabaugh found attack opportunities for the visiting Tigers as did Bentley Hoover. Ellah Heydenreich and Ava Elmore helped serve up the offensive minded young Tigers as primary setters.
Lillianna Porter was consistent as the team’s libero. Jaiden Black, Vivionna Sylva and Addlee Hattabaugh gave good minutes as part of the team’s second set rotation.
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