CAC to host 3A State Volleyball Tournament
CAC will host the 3A State Volleyball Tournament Oct. 27-29. The Lady Mustangs qualified for the tournament after a 3-0 victory over Cossatot River in the regional tournament Oct. 20. They join Bergman, Crowley’s Ridge Academy, Episcopal, Flippin, Harding Academy, Harmony Grove, Harrisburg, Lavaca, Mansfield, Mayflower, and Paris in this year’s 3A state volleyball competition.
Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Lynn Brown has been coaching volleyball at CAC for 13 years. For the first time in school history, Brown led her team to the 3A state finals in 2024. The team finished the season as state runner-up to Paris after a 1-3 loss but came away encouraged and motivated to return to the finals again.
“Expectations and pressure are high in a season following a state finals appearance,” Coach Brown said. “We have an incredibly talented team this year, and we’ve been working hard to overcome challenges during the season to put us in a position that will lead us back to that state finals stage.”
Junior setter and right side hitter Mia Adams is ranked No. 4 in serving aces in the state of Arkansas with 74, and she is also ranked No. 19 in assists in the state at 465. Adams said she is being intentional with her mindset and motivation to offset the pressure that the state tournament brings.
“We have a lot to live up to, and that can put a lot of pressure on everyone,” she said. “I think how we have been able to stay focused this season is remembering why each of us 11 players play, and that is because of our love for the game. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but being able to center back to why we play, which is because we love volleyball and love the chance at competing with so many teams, makes staying focused a lot easier.”
Senior setter and right side hitter Kayla Myers is ranked No. 11 in kills in the state of Arkansas with 324 this season, and she is ranked No. 13 in aces in the state with 54. Myers said trust is a big component in succeeding in the post-season.
“Our team has stayed motivated and focused by knowing that we trust each other to do their job, and we all know we want to make it back to where we were last year,” Myers said.
The Lady Mustangs are 16-10 overall and 5-2 in conference. They enter the state tournament as a 4 seed and play Mansfield (2 seed) Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. on their own home court. Brown said they’ve been working for this moment since the first day of practice, and she’s seen all the hard work and extra time her athletes have dedicated to the team.
“These Lady Mustangs are no strangers to challenging moments and hard games this season,” she said. “We have purposefully played matches and put ourselves in situations to prepare us for this moment. I’m thankful for every loss and challenge and proud of every win and moment of joy that has pushed us to this point and allowed us to get better. I love these girls and am excited to see what we can do.”
Myers and fellow seniors Calleigh Atcherson (OH), Delaney Huffman (M) and Elle Strange (DS) were celebrated at their last regular-season home game on Oct. 9, but it isn’t the last game on the Lady Mustangs’ schedule to be played at CAC. Myers said that the ability to compete on her own home court as a senior at the state level is something really special.
“Playing in the state tournament at home as a senior is such an exciting experience,” she said. “We have the best fans, and it’s amazing to be able to play in front of our community again.”
Heading into the tournament, Adams and Myers both said they want their team’s mindset to be confidence, composure, and most of all gratitude for the ability to play on our home court in the state tournament.
“We are playing on a court with CAC branded across it in jerseys with the same name on them, and that is such a big opportunity and an unreal experience,” Adams said. “No matter what challenges we’ve had this season, this is our chance to put it all together, stay locked in, and leave everything on the floor.”
To learn more about the tournament, visit our website below.