Trio of Gillen, Head, Hogue Named All-SEC, Watson Tabbed Co-SEC Coach of the Year

After helping elevate the volleyball program to new heights this season, three Hogs – Jill Gillen, Taylor Head and Hannah Hogue – have received All-SEC honors and Jason Watson has been named Co-SEC Coach of the Year.

It’s the first time since 2014 that Arkansas has had three players named All-SEC, and Watson becomes the second Arkansas coach to receive SEC annual honors, the first since Chris Poole in 2003.

Gillen, a graduate outside hitter from Stilwell, Kan., has now been named All-SEC in each of her five seasons at Arkansas. She further cemented her legacy within the program in the regular season as she became the program career ace leader, took over second in all-time program career kills and most since 1997, entered the top five in program career digs, and officially became the second Arkansas player ever to surpass 2,000 digs in the regular season finale at Auburn. Gillen has already entered the SEC all-time career top 10 list in kills and is on pace to finish in the top five once her collegiate career is done.

Gillen has set new personal single season highs in kills per set (4.15), aces (48) and digs (317) so far, and finished first in the SEC in aces per set with 0.43 and fourth in the SEC in kills per set with 4.15.

Head has earned All-SEC honors for the third time in her career. She too has climbed up the record books in 2023, entering the program career top 10 in kills in mid-October, and has secured her spot in the top five just over a month later. Head has been a threat in all aspects of the game this year and checks in at second on the team in digs through the regular season with 349, and she currently sits in sixth in program history for career digs with 1,215. Her efforts on both offense and defense have resulted in 19 double-doubles and brings her career count to 57, the second-most in program history and most by any Hog since 1999.

Taylor has set new personal season bests in nearly every statistical category: kills (442), kills per set (3.98), attempts (1,157), assists (29), assists per set (0.26), aces (32), digs (349), digs per set (3.14) and points (500). She finished the regular season in the top 10 in the SEC for digs per set, and in the top five for kills per set.

Junior setter Hannah Hogue has earned All-SEC designation for the first time in her career in her first season as Arkansas’ primary setter. The Fort Smith native garnered the attention of the conference immediately for her impact, and she was named SEC Setter of the Week five times throughout the regular season, as well as Player of the Week on Nov. 13. She has consistently been in the top three in assists per set among SEC setters with 11.27, but has also been in the top five nationally for much of the season, currently at No. 5. She entered the program top 10 in assists in October and is in 10th place with 1,885.

Hogue has also shined from the service line in 2023 with 46 aces, second-highest on the team, and her 0.41 aces per set come in second in the SEC, only behind teammate Jill Gillen.

Hannah has also been named Co-SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her strong showing in the classroom as well as on the court. Hogue, an Agricultural Business major, is a two-time SEC Honor Roll recipient and has been on the departmental honor roll in each of her semesters at Arkansas. She has also been named to the Champions List in four semesters for posting a 4.0 GPA. Hogue is the Hogs’ fourth SEC Scholar-Athlete in six years, with Jill Gillen winning the award in both 2020 and 2021.

For the second time in his tenure at Arkansas, Jason Watson has been named SEC Coach of the Year. He shares the award with Kentucky’s Craig Skinner, Tennessee’s Eve Rackham Watt and Missouri’s Dawn Sullivan for 2023.

Just one season after leading the Hogs back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years, Watson has yet again taken the program to a new level that commands national attention with accomplishments that include: the most regular season wins since 1999 with 25, the highest ranking in program history at No. 8, and the highest program RPI ranking at No. 7.

Prior to 2023, Arkansas highest-ever AVCA weekly coaches poll ranking was No. 13 in 1998. Arkansas spent seven weeks higher than that in 2023 and peaked at No. 8 on Oct. 30, and the Hogs made five total appearances in the top 10 this season. It marks the first time since 1999 that Arkansas was ranked in every weekly poll, and the Hogs spent 10 consecutive polls rising each time, the only team along with No. 1 Nebraska to do so. The Razorbacks rose a total of 17 spots from No. 25 in the preseason poll to their highest rank, No. 8. That ties Washington State for the most spots risen on the season, as the Cougars jumped from No. 21 to No. 4.

Watson also coached the Hogs to their first-ever win over Florida in his tenure on Oct. 29, which was also the team’s first win in Gainesville, and ended in a sweep. Less than a month later, the Hogs made it two as they took down Florida again at Barnhill Arena on Nov. 19, the first time the program has ever put up consecutive wins over Florida in one season and just the fourth and fifth ever.

Watson has now had back-to-back 20-win seasons at Arkansas, the first pair for the program since 2002-2003. His current winning percentage at 25-5 is .833, which matches a program best set in 1997. The Hogs finished the SEC slate at 15-3, tied for second place, which is their best conference finish since 2003, and best ever since the conference moved away from divisional standings.

Up Next

Arkansas will learn its postseason fate on Sunday, Nov. 26 during the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show. The show will air live on ESPN at 5 p.m. CT. With their regular season record, top 10 coaches poll ranking, and top 15 RPI ranking, the Hogs have set themselves in good position to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. The first two rounds take place on either Thursday and Friday or Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

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).