LEBANON (Oct. 22, 2026) – Marion volleyball has been a stumbling block for Lebanon. The Pioneers put up a strong fight, but the Scarlet Hurricane claimed its fifth straight Southwest District regular-season championship.
On Thursday at Charles C. Long Gymnasium, Marion rallied to win the final two sets, taking a hard-fought 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-7, 15-10) victory.
“We definitely got off to a rough start, but I think we have fight in us, and we really wanted to win,” stated outside hitter Aubrey Yarber, who dominated up front for the Scarlet Hurricanes. “We knew it was Lebanon’s senior night and that it was going to be a big game, and that they would have a lot of energy, but I think we had even better energy, and we pulled it out. It was back and forth in the sets, but I think we finished it out great.”
Lebanon (18-8, 10-2 SWD) had lost only one set during a six-game winning streak. The only blemishes on their SWD record were by Marion.
“Our kids competed. They played hard, had great energy, and were relentless,” said Lebanon coach Dennis Price. “We got down in the fourth set and couldn’t come back, then tried to recover in the fifth. That was the difference.”
With the Pioneers leading 2-1 in the match, the Hurricanes dominated the fourth set, with Yarber and Abby Rabara controlling the net. The decisive fifth set was tied for a fifth time at 7-all.
“Before the fifth set even got going, I felt like we gave them three swings right at the net,” Price noted. “We couldn’t get any offense going, and we were scrambling too much. That’s tough to overcome against a team like Marion.
“But our girls never quit. We fought right to the very end, and I’m proud of their effort and what they did. Our hearts were all in this. We were ready to roll, but that’s volleyball. It’s a tough road, and I’m really proud of the kids and how they played.”
Rabara ripped a slam down the line to give Marion (16-9, 12-0 SWD) an 8-7 advantage in the fifth. They won the next three points to gain some breathing room. They then took four of the final seven points to win the set and the match.
“You expect your seniors to step up because this is it for them,” Marion coach Amanda Hanshew said. “They want to leave a legacy, and they want to go out on top. So, you expect them to step up in those situations.”
Yarber totaled 23 kills, two blocks and 10 digs. Rabara added 11 kills and five aces.
“Once again, they’re seniors, and you expect them to step up and do that,” declared Hanshew. “At the end, I kept telling them: “Do your job. Everybody has a role to play. Do your job out there.” If you do your job to the best of your ability, there’s nothing else we can ask. They really stepped up and made key plays when we needed them.”
Jaidyn Fields (15 kills, two blocks), Rhealyn Barton (five kills) and Abigail Mullins (five kills) paced Lebanon. Carlee Ingram (17 assists) and Kenlie Fields (27 digs) also performed well.
It wasn’t a typical match for the Scarlet Hurricane, who struggled in the first and third sets.
“Honestly, we’ve struggled this week,” noted Hanshew. “We played Monday and Tuesday and won those games, but I’ve been telling the girls that’s not us. That’s not how we’re capable of playing. I don’t know if it’s getting to this point in the season, thinking, “We’re almost done. This is the last week of the season.” I don’t know if that’s getting to them or what it is. Hopefully, we’ve learned some lessons this week that we can fix and identified weaknesses we can address as we head into the tournament next week.”
Marion will host the SWD tournament semis and finals. The Scarlet Hurricanes will be the SWD No. 1 seed and host the Mountain-7 No. 4 seed in the Region 2D tournament next week.
“I’ve told the girls we’ve won the regular season for the last several years, and that’s a tradition we want to keep,” Hanshew stated. “Home-court advantage is crucial, especially when you reach the region games and have to travel two-plus hours to your destination. It’s nice to be at home, follow your normal home-game routines, and have that advantage.”
The Pioneers will work to earn the SWD two-seed in the tournament.
“I think our girls played well,” remarked Price. “Of course, we wish we’d won because we really wanted it. Hats off to Marion. They’re always a solid team every year, and their coach does a good job with them. Overall, I’m really proud of how our kids competed. I wish things had gone the other way, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
It will surprise no one if these two teams meet in the SWD tourney finals, giving Lebanon one more shot at the Hurricane.
“We’ll have to earn that, of course,” Price noted. “This year, the tournament is a little different. With the addition of Southern Gap, teams seeded second through seventh have to play, so we start Monday. I think the schedule is Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so it’ll be a big week for us.”
