Halfway to Hot Springs: The All-Prep Dig Midseason Team

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">We have cross the midpoint of the season. </h2>   We have rolled well past the midpoint of the season, and what a season it has been so far. We have seen great individual performances, surprise upsets, blowouts and five-set thrillers. We've watched records fall, career milestones reached and some younger players announce themselves as names we will be talking about for years to come.   Fayetteville and Bentonville gave us one of the best matches of the season, going five sets in a 6A-West battle. [player_tooltip player_id='749911' first='Avah' last='Brown'] has been dominant from the right side, including a monster week where she put down 63 kills in 15 sets while hitting .427. [player_tooltip player_id='749906' first='Molly' last='Miller'] continues to show why she is one of the premier setters in the state, running a loaded Fayetteville offense that followed wins over Bentonville and Bentonville West by traveling to Missouri and winning the Lori Endicott Invitational.   Conway is right back in the middle of the 6A championship picture. The Lady Cats have a younger roster than we are used to seeing, but the experience and leadership of [player_tooltip player_id='1008000' first='Braylin' last='Merritt'] has helped keep them focused and at the top of the 6A-Central race. There are plenty of new faces making an impact around her, including senior Addie Swindle, junior [player_tooltip player_id='940133' first='Paisley' last='Porter'] sophomore DS [player_tooltip player_id='762776' first='Whitney' last='Yarbrough'] and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1006380' first='Emma' last='Booy'].   Northside's [player_tooltip player_id='890979' first='Jalliyah' last='Freeman-Rhone'] gave us one of the craziest individual performances of the season. The junior recorded the first quadruple-double in school history with 25 kills, 24 assists, 14 digs and 10 blocks in a five-set win over Rogers. And that wasn't just one big night. Freeman-Rhone put together a huge week with 83 kills and 83 assists across 21 sets.   Then there is Valley View. Don't look now, but the Blazers have won 16 straight matches and have become one of the hottest teams in Arkansas. They got some revenge against Brookland along the way and continue to find ways to win against quality competition. With seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1008480' first='Kate' last='Calhoon'], [player_tooltip player_id='807048' first='Peyton' last='Prater'], Mary Kate Rees and [player_tooltip player_id='1008850' first='Lynnli' last='Jo Thomas'] leading the way, Valley View has put itself right in the middle of the 5A conversation. Farmington continues to roll through the 5A west and Benton is running strong in the 5A south.   Harmony Grove has quietly put together an impressive season of its own. [player_tooltip player_id='762345' first='Jaycee' last='Bossert'], has been a huge part of it. She opened one week with 33 kills on 60 attempts while hitting .417 in a five-set win over Lake Hamilton, then followed with 12 kills against Wynne and another 12 against Westside. [player_tooltip player_id='747267' first='Preslie' last='Walker'], is number two in kills in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='785641' first='Leelana' last='Kennach'] and Bossert give the Cardinals plenty of firepower as we head toward the postseason.   Bergman has been another great story. After starting 2-3, the Panthers caught fire and put together an 11-match winning streak. Senior captain [player_tooltip player_id='834310' first='Kinsley' last='See'] has helped lead the way as a six-rotation outside, while a veteran-heavy roster has Bergman playing some really good volleyball at the right time.   In 2A, Cotter continues to show why it will be a team to watch when tournament time arrives, but the road to Hot Springs is going to be crowded. Coach Nikki Guthrie has intentionally challenged her team against bigger programs to prepare the Lady Warriors for the grind of the state tournament. They have a strong junior class, with some impressive young talent coming behind them. At 6'4", freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1046675' first='Lily' last='McNutt'] certainly gets your attention when she walks into a gym. She is already drawing Division I attention in basketball and has the athletic ability to become a special volleyball player as well.   Then you have Mansfield and Hackett, two programs that know exactly what it takes to win in Hot Springs. Mansfield is the defending 3A state champion and has won five state championships in the last six seasons. Hackett has won the last two 2A state titles and four championships over the last seven years. Both moved into 2026 with new head coaches and significant pieces to replace, but neither has gone anywhere.   We've seen the milestones start piling up too. [player_tooltip player_id='769825' first='Asa' last='Perry'] reached 1,000 career assists for Bauxite. Cotter setter [player_tooltip player_id='1046053' first='Reagan' last='Cowart'] joined the 1,000-assist club and then broke her own school single-match record by handing out 48 assists in a four-set win over Izard County.   The back-row players have put on a show as well. Northside's Eden recently reached 1,000 career digs and has been outstanding for the Lady Bears. [player_tooltip player_id='538288' first='Abby' last='Robinson'] put on a master class when I watched Little Rock Christian play at Pulaski Academy, while PA's Emma Grace Kimball was making incredible plays on the other side. Shiloh Christian sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='763687' first='Bristol' last='Bonanno'] continues to pile up digs despite the move to 6A, and players like Merritt, Yarbrough and [player_tooltip player_id='994942' first='Addison' last='Hadaway'] have shown just how much a great defender can change a match.   We've also watched more Arkansas players make their college decisions. For some of these athletes, years of club tournaments, camps, practices, travel and high school matches are turning into an opportunity to continue playing at the next level. That's always one of my favorite parts of covering these players.   But now the season takes a different turn.   Conference races are tightening up. Seeding matters more with every match. Rivalries get another round. Teams that started hot have to prove they can finish, while teams that struggled early still have time to find their best volleyball.   We've learned a lot through the first half of the season. We know who can put up big numbers. We know which teams have the talent to make a run. Now we get to find out who can handle the pressure when every point, every set and every match starts to mean a little more.   The home stretch is here.   All roads now lead to Hot Springs.   All Prep Dig Arkansas Team of the first half of the season:    Setter   Running one of the most high-powered offenses in the state, Davis is averaging a group-best 10.41 assists per set while adding 112 digs and 26 aces. She currently sits at 2,265 career assists and is looking to cap off an amazing career with a trip to Hot Springs.   Season: 10.41 assists/set | 112 digs | 26 aces     Setter   Miller is a sensational setter and has Fayetteville's offense running like a bullet train. Feeding maybe the most complete group of hitters in Arkansas, she routinely makes incredible assists one-handed, from her knees and from just about anywhere else on the court. She hasn't had to carry the load of kills like she did last season, she has jumped up almost 4 assist per set from 2025.   Season: 10.24 assists/set | 142 digs | 43 kills | 17 blocks     Outside Hitter   Need a kill? Call Emmerson. Rehkopf has already piled up 1,002 career kills in just two seasons and continues to be one of the most productive outsides in the state. She brings the complete package with big-time offense and six-rotation production.   Season: 5.50 kills/set | .391 hitting | 217 digs | 209 serve receptions     Outside Hitter   So she's only 5'5". Think she cares? Walker will take on anyone, any size, anywhere. She plays bigger than her height and has been one of the state's most productive outsides, averaging 4.98 kills per set while contributing all the way around.   Season: 4.98 kills/set | 194 digs | 271 serve receptions     Middle   Venters has been a force in the middle throughout her career. The future Razorback is closing in on 1,000 career kills with 925, while her 340 career blocks show just how dominant she has been on both sides of the net.   Season: 210 kills | 3.28 kills/set | 84 blocks | 1.31 blocks/set     Middle   Last season's 4A State Tournament MVP hasn't slowed down with Pulaski Academy's move to 5A. Greenwood continues to be a force in the middle, producing offensively, controlling the net and creating problems from the service line.   Season: 248 kills | .331 hitting | 55 blocks | 55 aces     Rightside   Freeman-Rhone has been an under-the-radar player who is really breaking out this season. She fills up the stat sheet, highlighted by a huge quadruple-double earlier this year. She's hitting .345, up 90 points from last season, while making an impact in just about every category.   Season: 249 kills | .345 hitting | 64 blocks | 219 assists | 159 digs | 32 aces     Rightside   Ambeau is another one of the most complete players in the state. She could line up at just about any position and dominate. She attacks, sets, defends and blocks, and there is a reason she sits atop the 2028 rankings.   Season: 213 kills | .305 hitting | 241 assists | 213 digs | 45 blocks     Libero   Fields is one of the best in the business. She's quick, intuitive and always seems to be in the right spot. A former hitter, she understands how to read an attack and uses that IQ to control the back row. She recently surpassed 1,000 career digs and continues to be a steadying force for the Lady Bears.   Season: 511 digs | 7.00 digs/set | 285 serve receptions     Defensive Specialist   The youngster on this list, Hadaway is only a sophomore but is already putting up some of the best back-row numbers in the state. She's a hard-working, high-IQ defender who reads the game well and has proven she can handle a huge workload in serve receive.   Season: 362 digs | 5.48 digs/set | 397 serve receptions     Utility   Asa is one of my favorite players in the state. Much like [player_tooltip player_id='547495' first='Olivia' last='Ambeau'], she could excel at just about any spot on the court. She fits the utility role not because she is less talented at one position, but just the opposite. Perry is a gritty player who will do whatever her team needs and perform at an insanely high level. She recently reached 1,000 career assists and is closing in on 1,000 career kills and digs as well.   Season: 3.00 kills/set | 4.06 assists/set | 3.25 digs/set | 18 aces | 11 blocks    -Robert Birch, Lead Scout-Prep Dig Arkansas. Reach out to me at <a href="mailto:bdsrecruiting10@gmail.com">bdsrecruiting10@gmail.com</a> or connect with me on X (@predigRob) Tik Tok(@prepdigrob) and Instagram(@prepdigarrob)