Arkansas Falls in Four to Florida
Despite handing the Gators their worst set loss in 2009, No. 24 Florida came back with a vengeance in the next three and handed Arkansas its fifth loss in a row.
The Hogs fall to 4-5 in SEC play and 14-7 on the season and are now tied for fifth in the conference.
Senior setter Hannah Hogue got her fourth consecutive double-double with 36 assists and a team-high 12 digs, and chipped in with two blocks, also tied for the team high.
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Olivia Ruy had the first double-double of her career with 11 kills and 10 digs. She was behind fellow rookie Aniya Madkin in kills, who had a team-high 16.
Set 1
The first set was extremely clean and well-balanced from the Razorbacks as Arkansas hit .389 to Florida’s -.034. Three kills had four kills apiece in the opener: Madkin, Ruy, and Romani Thurman. The Hogs got their first lead of the set at 3-2 and never surrendered it from there, limiting Florida to just one point at a time while Arkansas got at least three in each service run. The Hogs put a bow on the set with a commanding 6-0 run to end it for a 25-11 final score, Florida’s worst set loss since 2009.
Set 2
The second set was close to start until the Razorbacks went on a 3-0 run highlighted by a service ace from Ava Roth for a 9-7 lead. The advantage didn’t last long, though, and Florida got eight of the next 11 for a 15-12 lead at the media break. The Gators continued to roll and scored six unanswered that extended the edge to nine. Arkansas couldn’t do much to swing the momentum, and Florida pushed to a 25-19 set two victory to even the match.
Set 3
The third set was close again, and every time Florida punched, the Hogs punched back early on. A three-point run tied it at 10-10, and while Florida tacked on two more, the Hogs kept with them and trailed just 15-13 at the media timeout. Arkansas came right back and took the lead at 17-16, which prompted a Gator timeout, and Florida came out swinging to take a 19-18 lead, and it was the Hogs’ turn to huddle. Arkansas just couldn’t catch up in time and two final kills from Florida made it 25-21, and the Gators took the match lead.
Set 4
The Hogs used a four-point run and went up 4-2 early on in the fourth, but the Gators came right back to tie it. Florida then scored six of the next nine for a 10-7 advantage, but the Razorbacks weren’t going quietly. A solo block by Hogue kicked off a five-point streak, and soon Arkansas led 12-10, which sent Florida to a timeout. The Gators kept their foot on the gas and came back to lead 18-16, and Arkansas huddled this time. The score was tied five more times and the Hogs took a one-point edge at 23-22, and Florida called time again. It worked, and the Gators scored the last three points to seal the 25-23 set win and 3-1 match victory.
Up Next
The Hogs are back at Barnhill at Sunday against Auburn at 3 p.m. It is the team’s Alumni Match and Women’s Empowerment Match, and the team will also be giving away 500 Jill Gillen and Maggie Cartwright bobbleheads to the first fans at the arena. The action will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
More Information
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