What could prove to be a prosperous season for the Marion volleyball team got off to a fitting start on Monday evening.
The 2025 Patriots officially opened their regular season and home schedule inside 3M Transit Arena with a three-set victory over Wynne (25-9, 25-14, and 25-15).
Marion (1-0 overall) continues the non-conference portion of its schedule Tuesday afternoon with a game at Collierville, Tennessee, and the Pats open 5A East play Thursday evening with a trip to Greene County Tech.
The Collierville game will not be broadcast, but you can watch the Greene County Tech match for free at the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel.
Marion's victory over Wynne was also Head Coach Lisa Beasley's 600th victory at the school, and in the first game of the 30th anniversary of the program, to boot.
Beasley's teams have averaged more than 21 victories per season, with a long way to go in the 2025 slate.
Marion bolted out to an early 4-1 lead in the initial set against Wynne, taking advantage of a service error and a pair of Kendall Brown kills.
The Patriot advantage hit 9-3 when Brown served an ace and Reese Goodwin ripped a kill, and Wynne had to call for time.
Senior Taylor Chamness assisted on kills by Kaitlyn Austin, Brown, and Kennedy Bullins, the last of which gave Marion its first double-digit lead at 14-4.
Bullins served back-to-back aces for a 22-9 lead, and the Pats claimed the first set with kills from Jaida Sturdivant and Brown.
The Pats were quick to open the second stanza, scoring the first five points behind a pair of aces from Goodwin and a Bullins kill.
Chamness found Austin and Bullins for kills later on in the set; the latter gave Marion a 14-7 lead to force a Wynne timeout.
Wynne worked within seven points twice after that point, but Marion was able to turn the Yellowjackets away as Chamness set Goodwin and Bullins for kills to cap an 11-point victory in set No. 2.
Wynne took its first lead of the match by scoring the first two points of the third set, but Marion got a kill from Bullins, a block from Bullins and Brown, and a Marlee Williams kill, to take a 6-3 lead, which forced a Yellowjacket timeout.
The stoppage worked as Wynne went on to tie the set at 7 moments later, but Marion took the lead for good when Sturdivant registered a block for a 9-8 lead, and kills from Goodwin and Williams gave Marion a 16-12 lead and forced Wynne's final timeout of the third.
Bullins, Sturdivant, and Goodwin each came up with two kills after that, while Brown, Austin, and Williams had one to close Wynne out.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Marion travels Tuesday to play Collierville, Tennessee in a contest that will not be broadcast on the Marion Patriots Activities Network. You can watch Marion's conference-opener on Thursday, August 28, for free on the Marion Patriots Activities Network YouTube channel as the Patriots travel to Greene County Tech.