Razorbacks Swept by Vols in First of Two Weekend Matches

Arkansas volleyball ran into more turmoil on Friday night as the Hogs were swept by the Tennessee Volunteers in the first contest of a two-match road weekend.

Sania Petties stepped up in all areas for Arkansas with eight kills, a .300 hitting percentage, two blocks and one of the team’s two aces on the night. Fellow middle Zoi Evans also had a good night on both sides of the ball with four kills, a .429 hitting clip and a team-high four blocks.

The Hogs are now 16-10 on the season, 6-8 in the SEC, with two regular season matches remaining.

Set 1

Arkansas controlled the pace early in the opening set, but Tennessee came knocking with a five-point run that swung the lead in their favor 13-8. The Vols kept their foot on the gas from there and limited any lasting opportunities for Arkansas. The home team grew their lead to 21-14, which sent the Hogs to a timeout. The Razorbacks got four of the next five points, but Tennessee answered with two that took it to set point. A service error gave Arkansas one back, but the Vols closed it 25-19 on a Razorback attack error.

Set 2

Tennessee dictated the tempo in set two until Arkansas strung together four straight points to tie it at 9-9. It was close after that, but a three-point Vols edge only increased following the media timeout. Tennessee used a five-point run and went up 20-12, a lead the Hogs just couldn’t chip into. They got two more points on the set, but a Vol kill punctuated the second set at 25-14 for Tennessee and put them up 2-0 in the match.

Set 3

Arkansas found a spark in the third set and got out to a hot start at 8-3. A 6-2 Tennessee run followed to cut the Razorback advantage to 10-9, but three straight Razorbacks points, highlighted with an ace from Petties, kept Arkansas up 13-9. The Vols refused to go quietly though and kept fighting, eventually tying the set 19-19, which sent the Hogs to a huddle. It was knotted again at 20-20 and 22-22, which prompted a Volunteer timeout. The home team got two points out of the break, and while Arkansas answered with a kill from Evans, a final Vol kill sealed it 25-23 and secured the sweep for Tennessee.

Up Next

The Hogs’ road trip continues in Lexington on Sunday as the Razorbacks take on No. 12 Kentucky at 3 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

More Information

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