Balanced Effort Leads to Sweep Over GSU
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Razorbacks recovered from a slow start to Friday’s match but recovered nicely for a straight-set win over Georgia Southern in the opener of the Diet Coke Classic in Minneapolis. Behind four players with at least seven kills, Arkansas registered a .318 hitting percentage in the triumph. The Razorbacks move to 2-1 with the victory.
The Razorbacks return to the court Saturday for two matches, first against North Dakota State at 12 p.m. and then closing out the weekend against host and third-ranked Minnesota at 7 p.m. Arkansas’ next home match is Sept. 7 against Butler on day one of the Arkansas Classic.
FINAL
Arkansas 3, Georgia Southern 0 (25-22, 25-6, 25-16) | Box Score
Attendance: — | Time: 1:16
Maturi Pavilion (Minneapolis, Minn.)
#RazorStats
• Stat leaders vs Georgia Southern
o Kills: Hailey Dirrigl – 10
o Digs: Okiana Valle – 10
o Blocks: Maia Stripp – 3.0 (0-3)
• Margin of victory in second set (25-6) is the largest in program history during 25-point rally scoring era
• First-ever meeting between the two programs
Arkansas limited Georgia Southern (0-4) to a -.013 hitting percentage and had a season-high eight service aces along the way. The team got two service winners each from Elizabeth Pamphile, Rachel Rippee and Okiana Valle.
In directing the offense to a season-high figure, Rippee dished out 33 assists and contributed two kills of her own including the match-winning tap down. Sophomore Hailey Dirrigl led all players with 10 kills while Pamphile put down eight kills to go along with a .429 hitting percentage. Logan Brown and Kelly O’Brien each chipped in with seven kills against the Eagles.
The Razorbacks trailed by as many as six points early in the first set but with Valle at the service line, pulled even at 11-all. After some back-and-forth play, Georgia Southern edged ahead 19-18 but Arkansas rattled off seven of the last 10 points to secure the 1-0 match lead.
The momentum carried over into the second set with the Razorbacks jumping out to a 16-2 advantage. Arkansas went on to win the set by a score of 25-6 which marks the program’s largest margin of victory in a set during the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present).
Biggest Set Wins (since 2008)
25-6 – Friday vs Georgia Southern
25-7 – 8/31/12 vs UMBC
25-7 – 9/12/15 vs Southeast Missouri
25-7 – 10/22/17 vs Mississippi State
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