Kentucky Takes Match One Over Arkansas, 3-1
While the Razorbacks got out to a hot start in their series opener with the No. 19 Wildcats, the visiting team fired back with three straight set wins and took a 3-1 victory on Friday night.
Arkansas is now 11-4 on the season and 2-3 in SEC play. Kentucky moves to 8-5 and is 4-1 in the league.
A bright spot of the night came in the form of the Hog defense, which put up a season-high 17 blocks in the match, the most as a team since 2015. Graduate middle Tatum Shipes led the effort and tallied two solos and 12 block assists for a new career high of 14, which ties for third in the Arkansas single-match metric, and the most blocks in a match for a Hog since 2005.
Set 1
Arkansas took the first point of the opening set, and the Hogs never surrendered the lead from then on. The Hogs didn’t allow the Wildcats to score more than two points at a time, while Arkansas strung together a huge five-point run to take the lead to eight at 18-10. The Razorbacks were the first to 20 off a block from Shipes and junior Taylor Head, which sent Kentucky to a timeout. The Wildcats cut the lead to five, but two attack errors handed the set to the Hogs, 25-18.
Set 2
The action was tight in the start of the second and the Razorbacks led early, but the Cats scored four unanswered points and went up 6-3. The Hogs then went on a four-point run of their own, which was capped off by back-to-back blocks by Shipes and Hailey Dirrigl for a 7-6 advantage. Kentucky began to settle in after that and scored six points to Arkansas’ one for a 12-8 lead. Arkansas called time, and while Arkansas came within three, Kentucky fired right back and went up 22-14. The Hogs couldn’t swing the momentum back the way of the home team and a kill for Kentucky ended another set 25-18, this time for the Wildcats, and tied the match at 1-1.
Set 3
The Wildcats wasted no time in the third, and rolled with a 10-2 lead. The Hogs continued to battle and came within two at 15-13, led by two kills from Maggie Cartwright. Kentucky then called time and regrouped with a pair of points, but Arkansas found a groove and rattled off five, which included a solo block and two block assists from Shipes, and the Hogs took a 18-17 lead. Kentucky got right back in it with four unanswered points, and Arkansas couldn’t tally more than one at once after that. The Wildcats finished it off with a kill at 25-21 and took a 2-1 lead into the fourth.
Set 4
The Hogs had no answer for the Cats early again, and Kentucky quickly went up 10-4 in the fourth. The Razorbacks came within two thanks to a four-point streak capped off by an ace from Shipes, and pushed the deficit to one shortly after, but Kentucky regained a three-point cushion of 15-12 at the media timeout. Arkansas kept it close from there and held the Cats to a one-point edge three times, and Kentucky huddled up 19-18. A ball handling error tied it at 19-all, but Kentucky added three quick points for a 22-19 advantage. The Cats reached set point, but the Hogs spoiled it with a kill from Jill Gillen and a block from Shipes and Cartwright, and Kentucky called time again, ahead 24-22. Another block from Shipes and Cartwright pushed it to 24-23, but Kentucky sent down a kill for a 25-23 victory.
Up Next
Arkansas and Kentucky wrap up the season series on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Barnhill Arena. The match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus. Tickets are available online or in person through the Razorback Ticket Center. Adult tickets are only $5 and kids 17 and under get in free.
More Information
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