No. 22 Gators Up Next for Razorbacks
Arkansas volleyball will get home court advantage this weekend when it hosts one of its toughest opponents of the season, No. 22 Florida.
Florida is currently ranked third in the SEC with a 9-2 conference record and 15-6 record overall. The Hogs are fifth in the SEC at 8-4 and are 17-6 on the season.
The two teams last met in March, and the Gators swept the Razorbacks 3-0 in two matches in Gainesville. Arkansas trails 3-46 in the all-time series between the two, and the Hogs’ last win over Florida came at home in 2015, a five-set victory.
Florida leads the conference in both hitting percentage (,293) and assists per set (13.05) and comes in the top five in opponent hitting percentage (.181), kills per set (14.07), blocks per set (2.61) and aces per set (1.49). Arkansas holds an edge in opponent hitting percentage, holding its foes to a second-best .179, but Florida comes immediately after at No. 3. The Razorbacks continue to lead the SEC in aces per set with 1.67, but the Gators are just behind at No. 2 with their 1.49
Both teams have hitters ranked in the top five in the SEC in kills per set. Arkansas’ Jill Gillen comes in second at 4.14 kills per set and Florida’s T’Ara Ceasar is fifth with 3.80. Razorback setter Gracie Ryan is second in conference with 11.16 assists per set, and the Gators’ Marlie Monserez is in third with 11.07.
The weekend series is full of promotions as the Hogs return to Barnhill Arena. Friday’s 7 p.m. match is Military Appreciation Night and will feature veteran recognition, service recognition, color guard and free admission for vets.
Saturday’s series finale at 5 p.m. is Daddy-Daughter Date Day, with pregame food and activities for dads and daughters in attendance. Those who would like to purchase a Daddy-Daughter can do so by end of day Nov. 11 HERE. It’ll also be 80s Night in Barnhill Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear their best 80s attire, and fans born in the 80s can get a free ticket.
Both matches will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
Last Time Out
The Hogs traveled to Tuscaloosa for their last regular season series last weekend and brought home a pair of wins against Alabama. Arkansas had not won in Tuscaloosa since 2011 prior to the series but took both matches 3-1. Sophomore Taylor Head led the Razorbacks on the weekend with 32 kills over two matches and hit an impressive .548 in Sunday’s finale. Arkansas hit .306 to the Tide’s .201 on Sunday, which was its best hitting percentage as a team since September.
Up Next
With the Florida series, Arkansas has five matches over the span of 10 days. After their match-up with the Gators, the Hogs hit the road for a midweek match-up against Texas A&M on Nov. 17, and return home for a pair against Mississippi State Nov. 20 and 21. Arkansas then closes the regular season at South Carolina on Nov. 26.
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Volleyball. You can also find the Hogs on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Volleyball) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackVB).
