Razorbacks Rally but Fall in Fifth to Gators

A day after being shut out by the No. 14 Gators, the Hogs put up their best fight in the series finale against Florida and forced a fifth set, but ultimately fell 3-2 on Sunday.

Arkansas is now 14-7 on the season and moves to 5-6 in conference. Florida is 18-4 overall and 10-2 in conference play.

Graduate middle blocker Tatum Shipes paced both the offense and defense for Arkansas on the day with a double-double. She had a season high 11 kills on 19 swings with two errors for a .474 hitting percentage, and led the team in blocks with 11, which included two solo stuffs.

Junior Taylor Head had a team-best 17 kills on the day, and graduate outside hitter Hailey Dirrigl contributed 12 with four block assists. Arkansas had 13 total blocks as a team, its 10th double-digit blocking performance of the season.

Set 1
Arkansas grabbed the first point of the opening set and never surrendered the lead the rest of the way through. The Hogs limited the Gators’ runs and used a 6-1 streak of their own with four kills and an ace from Gracie Ryan and went up 12-7, which sent Florida to a huddle. The Hog offense kept the momentum and extended the lead by as many as eight points and reached 20 first on a Florida attack error. The Gators came within four, but back-to-back kills from Shipes and a Florida service error took it to set point. Florida spoiled it twice, but Head put it away with a kill at 25-20 for the Hogs.

Set 2
The Hogs went on two three-point runs early and held a comfortable lead until midway through the set. Down 17-12, Florida took a timeout and scored seven of the next nine points and tied the score at 19-all. Arkansas regained it at 22-21, but the Gators got the next three. The Hogs called time, but Florida pushed it to set point. Arkansas put one more point on the board to keep it close, but a Gator kill finished out the set 25-23 in favor of the home team and knotted the match 1-1.

Set 3
The Gators keyed in on big runs to start the third set and scored no fewer than three points at a time for a 12-4 advantage. The Hogs chased but couldn’t generate more than two at a time to get an offensive spark going. The Gators led by as many as nine as they headed past the 20-point mark, and while the Hogs eventually cut the deficit to five, they ran out of time and couldn’t forge a big enough comeback. Florida closed out the second with a kill for the 25-18 victory and went up 2-1 in the match.

Set 4
Arkansas found a rhythm, capitalized on Florida errors in the fourth and took an 11-6 lead. The Gators huddled, but the Razorbacks limited any momentum they created. Two kills from Head and one from Hailey Dirrigl made it 17-12 Hogs, and another Shipes kill shortly after put Arkansas over 20. Florida regrouped with a timeout, but three straight Razorback points, including an ace from Avery Calame, pushed it to set point Arkansas at 24-18. Florida battled back with a pair, but a Gator error made it 25-20 for Arkansas and forced a fifth set.

Set 5
With their backs against the wall, the Gators came out fast and furious in the deciding set and went up 10-3 quickly. Arkansas took a timeout and got a point back but couldn’t get a sustained run going. A kill from Marina Markova then put the set and match in Florida’s hands at 14-6. Dirrigl answered with a kill, but Florida put the final one down for a 15-7 fifth set score and 3-2 victory.

Up Next
The Hogs host the South Carolina Gamecocks for an SEC midweek matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Barnhill Arena at 7 p.m. The contest will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

More Information
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