BEARCATS HOSTING 3A-5 VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT STARTING TODAY

Bearcat volleyball will host the District 3A-5 tournament starting today and continuing through Thursday.

The tournament takes on more emphasis this year because, unlike previous years when placement in the tournament was a state tournament qualifier, this year the top four teams qualify first four a regional tournament to be held next week.

As is the case with basketball, baseball, and softball, the quartet will square off with four from another conference which, in the case of the Bearcats, is the 3A-1, in a tournament Mansfield will host.

Four from Mansfield will advance to the Class 3A state tournament, the first three rounds of which Paris is hosting before the finals are in Hot Springs.

The addition of the regional round was due to the growing number of volleyball programs in the state.

When conference assignments were made the Bearcats landed in the 3A-5, the only sport in which the program is in the 3A-5.

The conference spans as far west as Bearcat Gym and as far east as Mayflower.

Tonight’s first round action pits the Bearcats, who are the fifth seeded team, against eighth seeded Perryville at 5 p.m. The Bearcats swept the Mustangs on October 1.

The second game today is sixth seeded Atkins taking on seventh seeded Lamar at 6:30.

The winner of the Bearcat-Perryville game will face fourth seeded Dover at 5 p.m. on Tuesday with a regional berth on the line and the winner of the Atkins-Lamar match will face Conway Christian for a regional spot.

Top seeded Paris and second seeded Mayflower await the survivors in the semifinals on Wednesday and the third place and championship games are Thursday.

All games will be broadcast on the Bearcat athletics app at Click Here.