Hogs Handle Business, Sweep Tide in Tuscaloosa
The No. 11 Razorbacks had another road test on Friday night and got the job done in less than 90 minutes as the Hogs swept the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
It was the second meeting between the two teams this season, and Arkansas came out victorious in each. The Hogs are now 22-4 overall and 12-2 in SEC play. The 22 wins are the most in one season for head coach Jason Watson since he took the helm in 2016 – with four matches left in the regular season – and the most for Arkansas since 2012.
The Razorback offense had a stellar showing with a .422 hitting percentage, the second-best for Arkansas all season, and five players hitting over .400.
Graduate outside hitter Jill Gillen had a team-high 15 kills on 31 swings with just one error for a .452 hitting clip, and also had seven digs and a solo block. Junior setter Hannah Hogue paced the offense with 43 assists and 11 digs for a double-double, her 11th of the season.
Set 1
Arkansas wasted no time getting to work and got out to an 8-3 lead early in the first set. The Hogs limited the Tide to one point at a time from there, but the Razorbacks didn’t slow down at all. A four-point run by the Hogs with three kills and a block pushed the lead to 20-8, and while the Tide tacked on four more, back-to-back kills from Taylor Head and Gillen pushed it to set point. Alabama rattled off three straight, but a final kill from Sania Petties put the first set away 25-15.
Set 2
The momentum swung Alabama’s way in the beginning of the second set and the Hogs found themselves down 7-4. The visiting team locked in from there though and put together four straight points, sparked by an ace from Hogue, which gave the Razorbacks a 9-7 lead. The Tide came within one, but the Hogs answered with another run, bookended by Gillen kills, and it was 13-8 Arkansas. The Tide couldn’t get more than one point at a time while a three-point streak pushed the lead to 10 for the Hogs at 23-13. Alabama added a pair, but a kill from Maggie Cartwright and an attack error closed the set 25-16 for Arkansas.
Set 3
The Hogs held a narrow lead early in the third set, but the Tide kept it close and tied it 7-7. Arkansas responded with a four-point run that gave the Razorbacks the advantage, one that they pushed to five points shortly after. The Tide continued to put up a fight and came within one, but the Hogs answered right back with two more points and made it 17-14, which sent Alabama to a timeout. The Tide were never far behind, but three straight points with kills from Gillen and Zoi Evans pushed it to set point for the Hogs. Bama got two kills, but Cartwright shut the door for Arkansas at 25-21 and secured the match sweep.
Up Next
Arkansas has another SEC road match on deck as the Hogs travel to Oxford on Wednesday for a contest with the Ole Miss Rebels. First serve is set for 8 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
More Information
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