Arkansas Gets Four-Set Win Over Kennesaw State in Season Opener

Arkansas volleyball opened its season on a high note Saturday afternoon as the Hogs took down the Kennesaw State Owls in four sets (25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19).

The Hogs looked extremely solid offensively with a .387 team hitting percentage on the match and three players with double-digit kills. Freshman Parker Duncan made an immediate splash with a team-high 17 kills, a .366 hitting clip and three service aces. Fellow hitters Lakin Laurendine and Romani Thurman each tallied a dozen kills and one ace apiece and both hit over .300 as well.

Sophomore transfer setter Kiki Remensperger set the tone very well for the Hogs with 43 assists and13 digs for a double-double. Redshirt sophomore libero Gaby Cornier, a transfer from Florida, held down the back row with a team-high 23 digs and three service aces.

Arkansas had a mix of new and experienced in its two starting middles, Journey Peppers and Zoi Evans. Peppers notched one block and five kills on six swings (.833) in her collegiate debut, while Evans led the team in blocks with three and six kills.

The victory was also special for head coach Jason Watson as it marked his 150th at Arkansas and 350th of his career. He is now 150-114 in his tenure with the Hogs and 350-262 overall.

Set 1

The season-opening set was largely back-and-forth down the stretch with seven ties up until the media timeout, where Arkansas led 15-14 off a kill from Laurendine. A strong service run by Remensperger, highlighted with an ace from her, put the Hogs up 22-17, and Arkansas broke away from there. The Owls tallied one more, but Thurman’s fifth kill of the set brought it to set point. A service error spoiled it, but Kennesaw gave one right back to make the first set 25-19 in favor of the Hogs.

Set 2

The Razorbacks came out in the second set with a little bit more rhythm and strung together a four-point serve run by Laurendine with an ace that made it 7-2. The Owls weren’t far behind, though, and quickly knotted it up at 8-8 and again at 9-9. Duncan went back to serve and gave the Hogs some momentum with a three-point run including an ace. Kennesaw got a point back but couldn’t do much to stop Arkansas as the Razorbacks then went up 16-10. The Hogs were the first to 20 off a Kennesaw service error, and while the Owls did claw back slightly, Arkansas had already gotten too far ahead and a kill from Thurman secured the win 25-17.

Set 3

Kennesaw led for most of the beginning of the third set until a three-point run capped with another ace from Duncan made it 12-11 Arkansas. The Hogs continued to hold a narrow lead, but Kennesaw put together a huge five-point run that shifted the advantage back to its side and sent the Razorbacks to a timeout. Backs against the wall, Arkansas pulled within one at 23-22 and again at 24-23, both thanks to Thurman kills, but the Owls hung tough and pulled out the 25-23 set victory, forcing a fourth.

Set 4

Kennesaw State again came out with most of the energy to start the fourth set, but a Duncan ace, her third of the day, gave the Hogs life and tied it at 7-all. The Razorbacks settled in from there and got four straight points, including two straight aces from Cornier, for a 12-8 lead. Kennesaw came within one at 15-14, but a seven-point swing with back-to-back-to-back kills from Duncan pushed it to 22-14 Arkansas. Another from her and one from Laurendine kept the Owls at bay and brought it to set and match point. Kennesaw State made a last-minute surge with a 4-0 run, but a service error closed the set 25-19 and the match 3-1 for the Hogs.

More Information

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