Razorbacks Edged by Bulldogs in Five Sets

The Arkansas volleyball team traveled to Athens to close out the week and while the Hogs got out to a 2-1 lead in the match, the host Bulldogs came back strong and forced a fifth set, which they went on to win for a 3-2 victory.

Georgia’s defense put up a blistering 19 blocks in the match, which helped push the Bulldogs to an 18-6 overall record and 9-4 in the SEC. The Hogs are now 15-8 overall and 6-7 in league play.

Senior outside hitter Jill Gillen made her return Sunday after she missed four matches recently due to injury and registered 11 kills. Junior Taylor Head led the offense with 19 kills, and sophomore setter Hannah Hogue tallied a double-double with 26 assists and 15 digs.

Set 1
Arkansas took an early lead in the first set off a kill from Head and kept building on it from there. The Hogs led by at least one point midway through and pulled away with a 4-1 run for the 12-8 advantage. Georgia called time and played close. The Razorbacks stifled any major runs until three straight kills for the home team tied it at 18-all. Arkansas took a timeout and regrouped with a 3-1 streak that regained the lead. The Bulldogs huddled, but a pair of kills from Head and Gillen and a Georgia attack error took it to set point. A Bulldog service error closed the first 25-21 in favor of the Hogs.

Set 2
The momentum quickly swung in favor of the Bulldogs in the start of the second set, and Georgia took an early 11-5 lead, which sent the Hogs to a timeout. Arkansas added just three to Georgia’s six after that, and the Razorbacks huddled again down 17-8. The Hogs came within six at 21-15, and while they pushed it to 18 points, the visitors didn’t catch up in time and the Bulldogs took the second, 25-18, which tied the match.

Set 3
The Razorbacks used a four-point run capped off by an ace from Gillen and went up 8-4 in the third. Georgia called time, but the Dogs added just two points while the Hogs tacked on four more, including an ace from Hogue, and doubled the lead at 12-6. Georgia scored five of the next nine and narrowed the gap 16-11, which prompted an Arkansas huddle. The Bulldogs kept chasing and came within two at 21-19, but the next three went to the Hogs. Maggie Cartwright put down a kill to finish the third 25-20 for Arkansas and put the Razorbacks ahead 2-1.

Set 4
Just as the rest of the match had gone until that point, the start of the fourth demonstrated how crucial long runs were for either squad as the Bulldogs strung together six straight points for an 8-2 advantage early on. The Hogs regrouped with a timeout but didn’t add more than two points at a time while Georgia rattled off four straight and went up 17-7. Another Arkansas timeout came after, but the Hogs couldn’t overcome the 10-point deficit and Georgia forced a fifth with the 25-14 win.

Set 5
Arkansas and Georgia traded the first two points of the deciding set, but the Bulldogs added three in a row for a 4-1 lead. The Razorbacks cut the deficit to three out a timeout, but it didn’t take long for the Dogs to respond. They led by five as the teams switched sides, and again at 11-6, and Arkansas called time. The Hogs added two more points, but it was no match for the Bulldogs’ final 3-0, and Georgia claimed the fifth 15-8 and the match 3-2.

Up Next
The Hogs now have 10 days off before they return to action with a midweek faceoff against the Missouri Tigers in Columbia on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

More Information
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).