Hogs Sweep Hurricane in Sunday Matinee
Arkansas volleyball capped off its opening weekend with its second sweep in as many matches as the No. 25 Razorbacks downed the Tulsa Hurricane 25-19, 25-11 and 25-19.
Graduate outside hitter Jill Gillen had another fantastic outing for Arkansas with a team-high 15 kills with just one error for a .538 hitting percentage, along with a team-high 14 digs for a double-double. Junior setter Hannah Hogue played a huge role on both offense and defense with 37 assists and three block assists, both personal bests. She contributed 11 digs as well for her second double-double of the season.
Both matches were attended by 1,000+ fans, setting the tone for another exciting season at Barnhill.
Set 1
The first set was close to start, but Arkansas used a 3-0 run with two kills from junior middle blocker Sania Petties and an ace from senior Taylor Head and went up 9-4. The Hogs held the Hurricane to no more than two points at a time after that and had a 15-10 lead at the media break. Arkansas continued to roll and crossed the 20-point threshold with back-to-back kills from Gillen. Tulsa came within four, but the Hogs closed it out with the final two points for a 25-19 first set victory.
Set 2
The Razorback offense was firing on all cylinders in the second set as Arkansas hit .500 to Tulsa’s .033, a new season set high in hitting percentage. The teams traded points early, but the Hogs pulled away with a stunning 8-0 run, which featured three kills from Gillen and two blocks from Petties and Hogue. Tulsa called time down 12-4 and got two points back, but the Razorbacks didn’t let up. Four straight made it 17-6 in favor of the home team, and Arkansas led by as many as 13 late in the set. The Hurricane ended up reaching 11, but a kill and ace by Head closed it out 25-11 for a 2-0 match lead.
Set 3
The third set saw six ties to start, but Arkansas quickly took control and went up 15-11 off a kill from Petties. Tulsa kept it close, but the Razorbacks rattled off four points, three of which were Gillen kills, and took a 19-13 edge, which prompted a Tulsa timeout. The Hurricane threatened with a 5-2 run, but it was stifled by a pair of kills from Head which brought the advantage back to five points. Another Head kill and a block by Petties and Hogue finished it at 25-19 and secured the sweep.
Up Next
No. 25 Arkansas plays host to No. 2 Wisconsin Wednesday and Thursday at Barnhill Arena. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. and will air on SEC Network and ESPNU, respectively. The latest iteration of the AVCA Coaches Poll will be released Monday afternoon. Wisconsin went 2-0 in its opening weekend including a win over No. 15 Baylor, while No. 1 Texas fell to Long Beach State in the Longhorns’ first match of the season. Arkansas last hosted a No. 1 team at Barnhill Arena in 2010, when SEC foe Florida was tabbed the top team in the country for the match on Nov. 19. Wednesday’s match will be a red out and Thursday’s a white out.
More Information
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