Arkansas Falls in Four to No. 9 Tennessee Friday
Arkansas continued a tough homestand on Friday night and put up a good fight against No. 9 Tennessee, but ultimately fell in four sets (23-25, 25-19, 19-25, 20-25).
Despite the loss, the Razorbacks hit .254 on the day, one of their best efficiencies in SEC play so far. The offensive charge was led by Parker Duncan with 13 kills, and Romani Thurman had 11. The Arkansas middles also had a nice day on offense with nine kills apiece from both Aleki Alexander and Layla Smith. The former hit a career high .750 with no errors on the night, and Smith hit .368.
Freshman setter Maggie McCarroll posted 41 assists in her third collegiate start and also recorded nine digs, a kill and an ace. Fellow rookie and libero Madi Benne had 14 digs, a team high.
The Razorbacks are now 9-8 on the season and 1-5 in SEC play.
Set 1
The two teams steadily traded points early in the opening set until the Hogs broke an 11-11 tie with a block from Romani Thurman and Layla Smith that capped off a three-point run. The lead was short-lived, though, as Tennessee answered with a 3-1 streak of its own that made it 15-13 Lady Vols at the technical break. While Arkansas stayed persistent, Tennessee limited the Hogs to one or two points at a time while the Vols advantage continued to grow. They hit 20 first, which prompted an Arkansas huddle. The Razorbacks kept battling and tied it at 23-23 courtesy of kills from Smith and Bohannan, but after a Tennessee timeout, the Lady Vols finished the job and won 25-23.
Set 2
McCarroll opened the second set with an ace, and it was again toe-to-toe for a good bit after that. The Hogs broke through with a 3-0 run that featured two kills from Alexander and Arkansas took an 8-6 lead. The back-and-forth continued, with neither team leading by more than two points. The Razorbacks used a 4-0 run spurred by a Bohannan kill to hold a 15-13 lead at the technical timeout, and Arkansas controlled the tempo from there. The Hogs added four more points to Tennessee’s one, and the Lady Vols huddled down 19-14. They slowed the Razorbacks down slightly after that, but Arkansas led by as many as seven and carried the momentum through to a 25-19 set victory that tied the match 1-1.
Set 3
The Lady Vols came out with renewed energy in the third set and used a 5-2 streak to go up 10-6. The Hogs just couldn’t generate any lasting runs, and Tennessee stayed hot for a 16-11 advantage after the technical break. The Razorbacks then fired back with four unanswered, capped off by a Duncan kill, and Tennessee called time. It worked for the Vols as they extended the lead back to 18-14, and this time Arkansas went to a huddle. The Hogs continued to be a thorn in the Lady Vols’ side, but Tennessee kept up its pace and finished the third 25-19 for a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4
The fourth set was all Razorbacks to start, but a blistering 6-0 run by the Lady Vols quickly shifted the momentum and Tennessee suddenly led 11-8, which prompted an Arkansas timeout. There wasn’t a whole lot that the Razorbacks could do, but they kept fighting and eventually strung together five unanswered points, completed with an ace from Duncan, that made it 18-17 in favor of Tennessee. The Lady Vols added another, but the Hogs answered with a pair, which tied it at 19-all and sent Tennessee to huddle. The Lady Vols then rattled off five straight to take it to set and match point, and while the Hogs spoiled it once, a final Tennessee kill made it 25-20 and secured the 3-1 match victory for the Lady Vols.
Up Next
The Razorbacks conclude their homestand on Sunday afternoon against No. 4 Kentucky at Barnhill Arena. It will be the team’s annual Pink Match for cancer awareness, and first serve is set for 2 p.m. Action will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
More Information
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Volleyball. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Volleyball) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackVB).
