Razorbacks Swept By Wildcats in Regular Season Home Finale
In the team’s last regular season home match, the No. 9 Razorbacks couldn’t find a way to get going and were swept 3-0 by the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday evening.
The win put Arkansas at 24-5 overall and 14-3 in the SEC on the season. For Kentucky, it clinched at least a share of the Cats’ seventh straight SEC title and put them at 18-7 in 2023.
Graduate outside hitter Jill Gillen had 10 kills, eight digs and two aces for the Hogs. Junior setter Hannah Hogue paced the offense for Arkansas with 28 assists and 11 digs for a double-double.
The Hogs finished the regular season home slate at 12-3, and only lost to top 10 opponents in Barnhill Arena. With 2,947 fans in the stands on Wednesday – yet another top five program crowd – Arkansas’ regular season home attendance record comes in at 32,674 over 15 matches, shattering the previous high of 19,607 set last year.
Set 1
While Arkansas scored four of the first five points of the match, Kentucky didn’t take much time to catch up and controlled most of the set from there. The Wildcats limited the Hogs to just one point at a time until the Razorbacks got a pair to bring it to 19-15, but Kentucky continued to roll. The Cats led by as many as seven and while the Hogs tacked on another two points, a final Kentucky kill closed it 25-19 for the Wildcats.
Set 2
The second set proved to be another game of runs as Kentucky started on a 5-0 tear. Arkansas briefly caught up and came within one at 7-6, but the Cats got eight of the next 10 points for a commanding 15-8 lead. Any chance the Hogs got didn’t last long and they were limited to one point at a time, while the Wildcats strung together four straight to extend the lead to 10 at 23-13. The Hogs got one back, but Kentucky closed the second with two kills for a 25-14 victory.
Set 3
Arkansas was finally able to swing the momentum at the start of the fourth set as the Hogs used a five-point run highlighted by a Gillen ace and a Taylor Head solo block for an 8-4 advantage. Kentucky quickly got right back in it and tied the score at 11-all. The Hogs regained the lead with a four-point run, but the Cats kept punching and kept it close. A kill from Gillen and two from Cartwright made it 18-16 Arkansas and sent Kentucky to a timeout. There were five ties after that, and the Hogs called a huddle of their own at 23-23. Arkansas got a point back for the lead, but Kentucky got two to force match point. A Razorback huddle couldn’t stop the bleeding and a final Wildcat kill closed the door on the set 26-24 and the match.
Up Next
The Hogs finish the regular season at Auburn on Friday at 3 p.m. CT. The match will be streamed live on SEC Network+. Arkansas will learn its postseason fate during the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show on Sunday, Nov. 26. The show will air live on ESPN and is set for 5 p.m. CT.
More Information
Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Volleyball. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Volleyball) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackVB).
