Razorbacks Earn 3-1 Victory in Exhibition Match
The Razorback volleyball team came out on top in their first and only exhibition match of the 2021 season on Saturday.
Arkansas won the match at Barnhill Arena against Missouri State 3-1 with set scores of 25-18, 21-25, 25-21 and 25-21. The tune-up came before the Razorbacks officially open the fall slate with the Arkansas Classic next weekend at home.
“We challenged our team, we played a lot of different people, a lot of people playing for the first time,” head coach Jason Watson said. “Overall, those that we know a little bit more about played very well, and those that we don’t know much about we know a lot more about. Really pleased with where we’re at.”
Junior Jillian Gillen led the way in kills on the day with 17 and posted two blocks. Senior Gracie Ryan had a team-high 25 assists and also added two kills. Senior Ellease Crumpton was a threat on offense and defense with five kills, team-high five blocks and a service ace.
Rookie Zoi Evans had five kills on five attempts, while her classmate Courtney Jackson added 10 digs, which matched the team high on the day. Graduate transfer Abigail Archibong and freshman Jada Lawson both added four kills and hit .250, and Archibong also added four blocks.
The two teams came out evenly-matched in the first set until a 3-0 Arkansas run brought the score to 6-3. The Razorbacks kept the pressure on and kills from sophomore Taylor Head, Gillen and Archibong plus an ace from Head sent Missouri State to a timeout with the score at 12-7. Arkansas kept its foot on the gas from there and led by at least four points for the remainder of the set. A kill by Gillen and two blocks from the duo of Crumpton and junior Maggie Cartwright closed the set out with a 25-18 Arkansas win.
The second set began similarly to the first, but this time the momentum shifted Missouri State’s way early. The Razorbacks found themselves down 14-10, but then started to find their rhythm. A kill from Gillen and a block from Archibong and junior Jordyn Gates put the score at 16-15 and Missouri State called a timeout. The Lady Bears came out of the break strong and while Arkansas threatened, the Razorbacks couldn’t make up the deficit and fell 21-25 for a 1-1 match tie.
Missouri State again jumped out to an early lead in the third set, and the Razorbacks fell behind to a 16-8 score. Then, Arkansas tallied four straight kills from Head, Crumpton and rookies Lawson and Hannah Hogue, which prompted Missouri State to re-strategize as the Bears held a 16-12 lead. The Razorbacks allowed just one Missouri State point before they again hit the gas and brought the score to 17-16. A block from Evans and Cartwright tied it at 18-all, and Arkansas controlled the pace from there. A solo block from Crumpton put the set away for the Razorbacks, 25-21.
Arkansas set the tone in the final set of the day with back-to-back Head kills, but a quick run by Missouri State sent the Hogs to a timeout. Senior Hailey Dirrigl added four kills early in the set and tied the score at 10-10, and the two teams knotted it nine more times after that. Arkansas finally began to break away with two Gillen kills to make it 21-19 in favor of the Hogs, and they didn’t allow the Bears to catch up. Kills by Crumpton and Head took the set to match point, and a Missouri State attack error finished it off for a 25-21 Arkansas set victory and 3-1 match win.
Up Next
The Hogs officially open the 2021 season by hosting the Arkansas Classic at home August 27-28. The Razorbacks open the action with Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday at 7 p.m. and take on Louisiana Tech and Little Rock at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, respectively. Both individual and season tickets are still available. Fans can purchase them HERE or by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at 479.575.5151.
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).
