Razorbacks Reverse Swept by Tigers in SEC Opener

The Arkansas volleyball team got off to a hot start in its SEC opener against Auburn on Friday, but ultimately the Hogs ran out of gas and were reverse swept by the Tigers (25-21, 25-23, 26-28, 19-25, 9-15).

Lakin Laurendine had a team-high 17 kills on the night, followed by Romani Thurman with 13. Parker Duncan rounded out Arkansas’ double digit kill scorers on the match with 11. Duncan also chipped in 12 digs for a double-double, her fourth of the season.

Kiki Remensperger had 36 assists and 15 digs on the night, the latter a match high and a season high for her fifth double-double in 2026. She was one of four Hogs to post double-digit digs in the contest – libero Madi Benne and defensive specialist Gaby Cornier each had 13, and Duncan tallied a dozen.

Arkansas did have an advantage over Auburn on the night in blocking with 11 to Auburn’s seven. Aleki Alexander led the way with six – one solo and five assists – and Thurman had five.

With the loss, the Razorbacks move to 8-4 on the season, 0-1 in SEC play.

Set 1

The teams traded blows early in the first set, but back-to-back kills from Duncan helped Arkansas begin to pull away at 8-5. Auburn stayed right with it though, and the Tigers eventually used two straight points to flip the lead in their favor, 15-13 at the technical break. From there, the Hogs went on a 4-0 run for a 17-15 advantage, and Auburn called time. Arkansas got the next two points as well, and while the Tigers came within two following another timeout, a 3-0 run capped with an ace by Duncan made it 22-17 Arkansas. The Tigers kept chipping away, but a kill by Laurendine and an Auburn attack error finished it 25-21 Razorbacks.

Set 2

A pair of kills by Thurman put the Hogs up 4-1 in the second set, but the Tigers locked in and scored seven of the next nine points and took an 8-6 lead. Auburn generated some lasting momentum after that, and Arkansas couldn’t create any lasting runs to get within striking good striking distance. Two Razorback errors and an Auburn block increased the Tigers’ lead to 17-12, and the Hogs huddled. Arkansas had a newfound energy from then on, with a big 3-0 run putting them within two at 21-19 Auburn, and the Tigers called time. An error by the visiting team and a kill by Duncan then tied it at 21-all, and Arkansas took the lead with a big swing from Thurman. The Tigers got the lead back at 23-22 with an ace, but three straight from the Hogs including one more kill from Thurman sealed the set 25-23 for Arkansas.

Set 3

The late push in the second seemed to knock all the wind out of Arkansas’ sails in the third set and the Tigers took a five-point lead early at 11-6. The Hogs couldn’t get more than a couple of points at a time for a bit, but a 4-0 run that featured an ace from Gaby Cornier and two kills from Laurendine tied it at 14-14. Auburn got the lead back right after, but Arkansas continued to be a thorn in the Tigers’ side down the stretch. Some Auburn errors and a big swing from Thurman cut Auburn’s lead to one, and then two quick points for the Hogs made it 24-23 Arkansas. Three ties ensued, but ultimately the Tigers won the race and took the set 28-26.

Set 4

Auburn used a 4-0 run in the early goings of the fourth set for a 5-3 lead. The Tigers seemed to have a little more energy and limited the Hogs’ opportunities, until a 3-0 spurt capped off by a kill from Thurman put Arkansas within two at 13-11. Auburn’s offense stayed sharp, and the Hogs just couldn’t get a quality scoring run going. The Tigers hit 20 first and easily carried the momentum through to a 25-19 st victory, forcing a fifth.

Set 5

The fifth was back-and-forth in the first couple of points, but the Tigers settled in and rattled off a 4-0 run for a 6-2 lead. Arkansas racked up several miscues that kept the fire under Auburn and the Hogs simply couldn’t find their footing. The Tigers easily cruised to a 15-9 victory for the reverse sweep.

Up Next

The Razorbacks have a week off before returning to action next Friday, Oct. 2 at Georgia at 6 p.m. They continue their first conference road trip at South Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 4 at noon. Both matches will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

More Information

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