Arkansas Takes Down Aggies in Four at Barnhill
The No. 16 Hogs had the second of two weekend matches on Sunday and took down the Texas A&M Aggie 3-1 for a perfect 2-0 start to SEC play.
Graduate outside hitter Jill Gillen led the way with 19 kills and 11 digs for a double-double, her second in as many matches. She hit .457, her second-highest hitting percentage of the season and best since Aug. 27.
Senior outside Taylor Head also recorded another double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs, a team high. The pair also had two aces apiece.
Arkansas finished the day with a .346 hitting percentage, its seventh match at a clip over .300 on the season.
Set 1
The opening set was close to start until the Hogs strung together three straight points for a 12-8 lead. Arkansas continued to hold the edge but the Aggies weren’t far behind, and a six-point run for the visiting team tied it at 17-17. Neither let the other scored more than two at a time after that, but the Hogs maintained the lead. Texas A&M spoiled set point once, but a kill by Gillen made it 25-23 and finished the set in favor of the Razorbacks.
Set 2
There were six ties early on in the second set, and Texas A&M took advantage of a couple Arkansas errors for a 9-7 advantage. The Razorbacks continued to chip away and kept it close, and a kill from Maggie Cartwright and ace from Gillen gave the team a narrow one point lead at 15-14. The Aggies stayed aggressive though and scored five of the next seven for a 19-17 lead. The Hogs called time and came within one, but a Razorback service error and an Aggie kill gave the set to A&M 25-21 and tied the match.
Set 3
Arkansas got out to a hot start in the third set and capitalized on A&M errors for a 6-2 lead. Texas A&M stayed right on the Hogs’ heels though and went on a run to tie it up. The Razorbacks regained a three-point lead and extended it to four with a block from Hannah Hogue and Zoi Evans. A&M chipped away, but four straight points capped off by a kill from Evans pushed it to 19-14. The Aggies couldn’t catch up from there and a kill from Sania Petties and A&M error finished the third 25-18 for an Arkansas lead in the match.
Set 4
The Hogs found themselves in a four-point deficit early on, and A&M held the lead halfway through the fourth. Arkansas turned on the jets then and Gillen came through with two kills for a 13-12 lead, which sent the Aggies to a timeout. The Razorbacks limited the Aggies to one point at a time after that, and the Hogs quickly turned the tide and went up 19-15. Texas A&M huddled again, but Arkansas kept rolling with four straight kills for a 23-14 edge. The Aggies got one back but a final kill from Head made it 25-16 for Arkansas and sealed the win. The Hogs ended up hitting a blistering .621 in the set.
Up Next
Arkansas closes its three-match homestand with a tilt against No. 24 Auburn on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at Barnhill Arena. The match will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
More Information
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