Hogs Swept by Top-Ranked Badgers in Series Finale

After a nail-biter of an opening match on Wednesday, the No. 1 Badgers came back with a vengeance and proved too much for the No. 21 Hogs as Wisconsin defeated Arkansas in straight sets on Thursday.

Graduate outside hitter Jill Gillen led the Razorbacks for the second night in a row with 15 kills and 13 digs for a double-double and added an ace.

Arkansas had another great fan turnout on the evening, with 2,740 fans for the third highest-attended match in program history. The Hogs are averaging 2,446 fans a match through four, which is eighth-best in the country.

Set 1

Arkansas used an early three-point run that featured kills from Gillen and Maggie Cartwright and an ace from Gillen and went up 5-2 in the first set. The Badgers and Hogs then traded 6-0 and 5-0 runs, respectively, and Arkansas held a 12-9 lead. The middle of the set was close, and every time one team answered, the other did right back. Wisconsin took a timeout down 19-17, and the momentum swung quickly in the Badgers’ way. Wisconsin tacked on five straight, which put the Badgers up two, and Arkansas couldn’t catch them from there. A kill finished the first 25-22 in favor of the visitors.

Set 2

The Hogs jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the beginning of the set, but Wisconsin responded with a 7-1 run for a four-point lead. The Razorbacks then took a timeout to regroup but were held to one point at a time. The deficit grew to nine and while the Hogs did get to 16 points, they had no answer for Wisconsin’s attack and fell behind in the match 2-0.

Set 3

Arkansas struggled to create any lasting momentum in the third set and didn’t score more than one point at a time until a pair tied it at 9-all. The draw was short-lived as the Badgers got four straight back for a 13-9 edge, and the Hogs called time. Cartwright got a kill out of the break, but the Badgers added four more points and went up by seven. A timeout didn’t stop the run, but two Wisconsin errors cut the deficit to seven at 19-12. Gillen accounted for all four of Arkansas’ last tallies on the night and spoiled Wisconsin match point once, but a final Wisconsin kill shut the door and secured the sweep.

Up Next

Arkansas opens the Wooo Pig Invitational on Friday evening against the RV Colorado State Rams. The match is set for 7 p.m. at Barnhill Arena and will be broadcast live on SEC Network+. The Hogs then close out the week with their fourth match against Michigan on Sunday at 11 a.m.

More Information

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