Razorbacks Fall to Sooners in Close Four-Setter
In a match that featured 43 tie scores and 21 lead changes, Arkansas was ultimately outlasted in a 3-1 loss against Oklahoma in Norman on Wednesday (25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 25-27).
While the match goes down in the loss column, it was one of Arkansas’ best performances of late. The Hogs outhit the Sooners .311 to .296, led by big offensive efforts from Romani Thurman and Parker Duncan. Thurman had 14 kills and hit .370, and Duncan had 13 kills and hit .360. Both had just four attack errors on the night.
Freshman Journey Peppers continued to prove how important her presence is on both sides of the ball. Peppers had nine kills on 12 swings with just one error for a .667 hitting clip and tallied a team-high five blocks.
The Hogs’ setter duo of Livia Niu and Kiki Remensperger combined for 48 assists, 27 for Remensperger and 21 for Niu, a new career high for Niu. They both also had three aces on the night, Remensperger with two and Niu with one.
Set 1
After the Sooners got the first point, Arkansas rattled off a 4-0 run and jumped out to an early advantage in the opening set. Oklahoma punched back and came within one at 11-10 off an Arkansas service error, but the Hogs maintained control. The Sooners stayed vigilant though and managed to tie it at 14-all with a 3-0 run. It was tied two more times after that, but a three-point service run by Remensperger with an ace made it 19-16 Razorbacks. Arkansas didn’t let Oklahoma catch up from there and following a Sooner attack error, the home team called time down 23-20. They tacked on two more points, but a kill from Peppers sealed the opening frame 25-22 for Arkansas.
Set 2
Oklahoma quickly shook off the loss and went into the second with all the momentum. The Sooners held a solid lead and hit 10 points first, but the Razorbacks were right on their tails and used a three-point run capped off by a kill from Duncan to tie it. Oklahoma limited the Razorbacks to two or fewer points at a time while the Sooners kept rolling and went up 18-15. Arkansas called time to stop the bleeding, but Oklahoma wasn’t slowing down, and the lead quickly grew to 21-15. The Hogs got five of the next six points but ran out of time as OU won the second set 25-21 and tied the match.
Set 3
Arkansas hit double digits first in the third set with aa kill from Zoi Evans, but after that there were four ties before Oklahoma regained the lead at 15-13 heading into the media timeout. The Hogs got the next two out of the break, and again the teams traded blows. There were five more ties until Arkansas broke through at 21-20 off an OU attack error. The Sooners regrouped with a timeout, and while it was still close, Oklahoma finished the fight 25-23 and went up 2-1 in the match.
Set 4
The fourth set continued to be an intense back-and-forth, with neither side able to score more than two points at a time to keep the other at bay for long. Arkansas found itself ahead at the media break off an ace from Remensperger, but Oklahoma answered with three straight points, the largest run by either team in the whole set. Down 17-15, Arkansas called time. The Sooners got the next two, but the Hogs locked in and posted a 3-0 run of their own to shave the deficit to one, at which point OU huddled. A kill from Lakin Laurendine tied it at 19-19, but Oklahoma reclaimed the advantage and was quickly two points away at 23-21. The Hogs called time, and a 3-1 push knotted the score 24-24. After a timeout, Oklahoma got a kill, but one from Duncan made it 25-25. The Sooners found their rhythm for the final two points they needed and won the set 27-25.
Up Next
Arkansas does not play again until next Wednesday, Nov. 5, at home. The Hogs host the Alabama Crimson Tide at 6 p.m. at Barnhill Arena, and the match will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
More Information
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