Hogs Sweep Salukis in Razorback Invite Opener
Arkansas volleyball got its first home win of the season in sweeping fashion as the Hogs took down the Southern Illinois Salukis in their opening match of the Razorback Invitational on Thursday (25-15, 25-16, 25-14).
Freshman outside Parker Duncan had an outstanding night with 15 kills on 27 swings with just four errors, compiling a .407 hitting percentage, which is the highest for any Razorback this season. She also posted two blocks, including one solo, and currently leads the Hogs in solo stuffs on the season with five.
The Razorbacks had just six total attack errors in the match and hit .378, with hitters Lakin Laurendine and Romani Thurman only tallying one apiece. Laurendine had 11 kills on the night in a .312 hitting effort and added a team-high 11 digs for her third double-double of the season. Thurman chipped in seven kills on 16 swings and hit .375, a new season high for her.
Sophomore setter Kiki Remensperger paced the offense with 34 assists, her seventh 30+ assist outing of the season. She had two kills on four attempts for a .500 hitting percentage.
The Razorbacks notched nine team blocks on the night including seven from freshman Journey Peppers, matching her career high previously set on Aug. 31.
Set 1
Arkansas quickly went up 5-2 in the set and then put together a three-point run featuring back-to-back aces from libero Kylie Weeks for an 8-3 advantage. The Salukis called time but were limited in their chances while the Hogs continued to pour on. Two SIU errors made Arkansas’ lead double digits, and the Salukis huddled again. They got the next three points out of the break and chased, but the Hogs went up by 10 again with an ace from Remensperger at 23-13. SIU added two more, but a service error gave Arkansas the 25-15 set victory.
Set 2
The second set was a bit closer to start, but the Hogs began to pull away with a 7-1 run that put them up 10-6 and prompted an SIU timeout. The Salukis answered back and came within one, but two errors and an ace from Remensperger put the Razorbacks out front 13-9. It was pretty much all Arkansas after that, and a block from Remensperger and Peppers pushed it to 19-12, with SIU calling time again. Four straight points for the Hogs put it to 23-14, and the Salukis couldn’t mount a comeback. A kill from Duncan made it 25-16 and put the Razorbacks up 2-0 in the match.
Set 3
All the momentum stayed with the Hogs in the third set and Duncan rattled off three points of her own – two kills and a solo block – to give Arkansas a 10-3 edge. The Salukis couldn’t get more than two points at a time while the Hogs kept going on runs, a 3-0 one capped off by an ace from Gaby Cornier made it 14-6 Arkansas and forced an SIU timeout. The Hogs staved off any chance the Salukis had to get back in it, and three straight points put Arkansas two away from a sweep at 23-13. SIU added one more point, but a service error and a final kill from Laurendine secured the set 25-14 and the match sweep.
Up Next
Arkansas continues the Razorback Invitational on Friday with a match against North Dakota State at 7 p.m. at Barnhill Arena. Single and season tickets are available online, in person or by phone through the Razorback Ticket Center, and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
More Information
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