Hogs Down Bulldogs in Five-Set SEC Opener Victory

The first conference victory of the season just meant more for Arkansas on Wednesday night as the Hogs took down the Georgia Bulldogs in five sets.

Redshirt freshman outside hitter Aniya Madkin had 27 kills in the match, the most for any Arkansas player since Jill Gillen had 33 against Utah State on Sept. 3, 2021. She also set a new program record in single match attack attempts with 86, topping Gillen’s 84 versus Ole Miss on Nov. 22, 2019.

Sophomore Romani Thurman had 20 kills on the match as well with a .292 hitting percentage and contributed four blocks. Arkansas registered 73 kills total on the night, a new season high and the most in a match since 2022.

Senior middle blocker Zoi Evans set a new career high in total blocks with 10, the first Hog to hit double digits in blocks since Tatum Shipes. Arkansas tallied 16.5 total blocks, its most as a team since the 2022 slate. Evans had seven kills also, which matched her career high.

Set 1

The two teams kept it close to start and while Arkansas had the lead early, a 6-1 run gave it to the Bulldogs at 13-10. Georgia kept the pace from there and the Bulldogs continued to add to the lead at 19-14. The Hogs took a timeout and came out swinging with five straight kills from Madkin and knotted the score at 19-all. Georgia got one back, but Arkansas made it 22-20 shortly after. The Bulldogs spoiled set point once, but a kill from Thurman finished it at 25-22 for the Hogs.

Set 2

The second set opened with a 5-1 run for Arkansas, which prompted a Bulldog timeout. They got two points back, but the Razorbacks strung together three straight points capped off by an ace from Avery Calame for a 10-3 advantage. It was all Arkansas from there as the Hogs continued to maintain a seven-point lead with a block from Sania Petties and Olivia Ruy and hit 20 points. Georgia wouldn’t go quietly though and went on a six-point run to come within one point. The teams traded them from there, but a Bulldog service error solidified the second set in Arkansas’ favor, 25-23.

Set 3

The third set was one of runs as the teams exchanged the lead five times through the midway point. The Bulldogs pulled ahead by three at 17-14 and forced Arkansas to call time, which stopped the bleeding and allowed the Hogs to generate some momentum to tie it at 19-19. It was back-and-forth after that, with the set quickly going past 25 and then 30 to win. The Bulldogs tied it at 31-all with a block, and then a kill and Arkansas attack error shut the door on the extended set 33-31 and made the match 2-1.

Set 4

The Hogs jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the fourth set and kept Georgia at bay for a bit, but the Bulldogs fought back with a 5-0 run and tied it at 10-10. Following an Arkansas timeout there were three ties, but two Georgia errors and a kill from Thurman made it 16-13 Razorbacks. The Bulldogs huddled and came out energized, keeping it close at 16-, 17-, and 18-all. Georgia found a groove and eventually went up 23-18, a deficit the Hogs couldn’t get themselves out of. A kill from Georgia sealed the set 25-20 for them and forced a deciding fifth set.

Set 5

Arkansas got off to a good start in the final set with a 5-1 run that featured an ace from Hannah Hogue. Georgia called time but couldn’t generate much to chip into the Hogs’ lead. They came within two at 11-9 and 13-11 and forced two Arkansas timeouts, but a kill from Madkin took it to set and match point. The Bulldogs got one more kill, but a final one for Thurman shut the door on the fifth set 15-12 and the match 3-2.

Up Next

Arkansas takes on Ole Miss at Barnhill Arena on Sunday at noon to continue its SEC opening week. The match will be broadcast 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).