Gillen Recalls Arkansas' 3-2 Win over Alabama

Freshman Jillian Gillen is without a doubt, thrilling to watch on the volleyball court. The Stilwell, Kan. native is known for her energy and intensity, her power and skill seemed to always quiet the naysayers. She brought the fire every match, every set, every swing during her first season on The Hill. Gillen showed just what she and the Razorbacks were capable of this past fall, on an ordinary Sunday in November when she helped lead Arkansas to a 3-2 win over Alabama. It was the first time since 2013 that Arkansas was victorious over the Crimson Tide.

“The season up until this point had been a wild ride,” Gillen said. “So many great opportunities for our team. I saw so much fight in my teammates and I was honored to go to battle for them. We had just dropped a really tough mid-week match against Tennessee and had just returned home from a tough road trip to Kentucky and Texas A&M. We had a couple extra days to recover after Wednesday and I was ready for a tough fight.”

“The fans were loud that day, the band was there and it was like they knew we needed them more than ever. Right out the gate, it was obvious that Alabama came to compete. Coach Watson always tells us to focus on our side of the net and if we can play ‘our’ volleyball and play it well, we’ll be alright.”

“About midway through the first set, I remember they had taken the lead after two or three straight kills. Ellease [Crumpton] got us a point back and to see her step up when we needed her was big, we weren’t going to let the set slip away despite falling behind.”

“Lauren [Evans] was controlling her serve pretty well that day and we managed to get a few points back and tied it up. I remember Alabama calling a timeout and thinking that we could not let off the gas and we needed to set the tone with a first set win.”

The Razorbacks took a 1-0 lead after a 25-22 set one win, freshman Maggie Cartwright got the final kill of the set with an assist from senior Rachel Rippee.

“The second set was a reality check, we trailed for the entire set and it was like we just couldn’t catch up. I was having trouble with my serve that day and I was disappointed in myself for giving up those points, but I knew I couldn’t hang my head on that and made sure I was strong and steady for my team.”

“About half way through the third set, Alabama had some bad swings and we took advantage of it. The scoreboard is behind us during this set, so I don’t remember the scores, but by this point, Rachel and I had a good system in play and I took a big swing off her set and we tied it up. Alabama called a timeout and I could really see how my team was rallying around each other and feeding off each others’ energy.”

“We kept pushing forward, Devyn [Wheeler] was doing really good with the serve and targeted some good spots to keep us in control. I remember, she even had a couple key aces this set. I was starting to hit my stride so Gracie and Rachel just kept feeding me the ball and I just kept swinging.”

“The fourth set was a whirlwind, Alabama won a challenge early on and tensions were pretty high in the gym. We were trading runs – they’d pull ahead and we’d bounce back and come within a point or two.”

“It was late in the set and we had some attack errors that really hurt us and despite making a late go at their lead, Alabama took the fourth set and we were tied again.”

“The break before the final set felt like forever, I was ready to get back out on to the court and finish what we started. We came out firing, three straight for us. Rachel and I were in a good groove right out of the gate. For every play they made, we had a response.”

“It was down to the wire in the final set, extra points were needed to win this one. I remember being on the back row and Maylin [Garrett] and Ellease put up a huge block to win the match. I was super pumped, we all were. It felt so good to share that win and celebrate that victory with my team.”

Gillen finished the match with 28 kills and she finished the year as the first freshman in Arkansas history to log three performances of at least 28 kills in a single season.

During this time we get the chance to look back on matches like these and performances like Jillian’s. We think about what the future will hold and just when we’ll get to see the Hogs back in action in Barnhill, but until then, stay home, stay safe and Call Those Hogs.

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