Most would expect Olivia Ambeau Olivia Ambeau 6'0" | S/RS Cabot | 2028 State AR to be the key player for Cabot, and she certainly is a big part of this matchup. She does it all for the Panthers. But I think a strong performance from Izzie Duncan Izzie Duncan 5'10" | MB/RS Cabot Arkansas | 2027 State AR will be just as important in slowing down Bryant’s offense.

Duncan has been tearing it up lately for Cabot. Her seven blocks against Conway were huge in helping the Panthers avenge their earlier loss and take over first place in the conference. She’s a strong presence at the net with a ton of experience, and her ability to disrupt Bryant’s hitters could be a deciding factor tonight.

Season Stats: 76 sets | 137 kills | .282 hp | 78 blocks | 15 aces

Duncan brings some serious power to the Cabot front line, and she showed it throughout the LRCA Classic. I was able to watch her during a hotly contested match with Westside, and she hammered a couple of kills that got an immediate reaction from the crowd. When Duncan gets a clean look, she can really put the ball away.

She is an imposing presence at the net and makes opposing hitters think about their shot selection. Duncan is also an experienced player with 449 career kills and 207 career blocks, so this isn’t a player just starting to find her way. She has been producing at the varsity level for a while. This season, she is second on the Panthers in kills, third in aces and leads the team in blocks.

Cabot improved to 10-4-1 and took home the LRCA Classic championship with big wins over Bentonville and St. Mary’s Episcopal of Memphis. If the Panthers are going to defend their 6A-Central title, Duncan will be a big part of it.

2026 Stats: 39 sets | 66 kills | .244 hitting | 11 aces | 35 blocks

2025 Stats: 104 Sets | 211 Kills | 2.0 Kills/Set | .335 Hitting % | 104 Total Blocks | 1.0 Blocks/Set

Duncan is one of the state’s most complete middle blockers. She impacts matches on both sides of the net, finishing with more than 200 kills while averaging a block per set. Her ability to establish the middle attack offensively while anchoring Cabot’s block makes her one of Arkansas’ premier returning middles entering the 2026 season.

Duncan put up a huge block out of the middle. Though she was not able to get set very much, she scored on just about every attack attempt I saw. She does a great job at calling for different sets to keep the opposing team guessing. Her energy on the court is huge and she is a huge momentum boost.

Duncan is a strong middle blocker calling for different plays out of the middle. She does a good job at finding the court. Duncan has a high volleyball IQ and knows when to take shots versus swinging. She does a great job at pressing the block and taking good footwork to not allow too much spacing between her and the net. She will be a force for Cabot this year.

Isabella made her presence known at the net. She was quick to close blocks and stayed active throughout each drill and scrimmage. On offense, she showed solid timing and connected well with her setters. Her footwork and ability to adjust helped her stand out among the middles. Duncan is a strong player with a powerful armswing. All eyes need to be on her as she enters the recruiting scene.

Duncan is a very aggressive middle blocker. She is a key attacker and reason for the success her team has had this season. Duncan has led her team to be one of the only teams in the state to get a bid to nationals. Duncan has a high contact point and a strong snap. She sees that block out in front of her and uses that to her advantage, tooling to block.

Duncan can be seen swinging out of both the middle and the right side. She is a pretty versatile player with a heavy arm. She can swing right through the block. Duncan has a high contact point and can a lot of times swing completely over the block. Duncan also puts up a very impressive block. She is a player that should be on your radar.