Razorbacks battle Back to Complete Weekend Sweep

August 31, 2019

By ARKANSAS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE – Trailing by two sets in its final match of the Arkansas Classic, the University of Arkansas Volleyball team ignited a fire and battled back to win the final three sets and defeat opponent Montana State, 3-2 on Saturday morning. The Razorbacks’ win helped them claim the tournament title for the second consecutive year after defeating Northwestern State and Little Rock on Friday.

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Montana State 2 (20-25, 28-30, 25-15, 25-18, 15-13)
Attendance: 405 | Time: 2:30
Barnhill Arena

Quick Hits
Stat Leaders vs Montana State
Kills: Jillian Gillen – 26
Digs: Gillen, Rachel Rippee, Gracie Ryan – 13
Double-Doubles: Gillen (26 kills, 13 digs), Rippee (31 assists, 13 digs), Ryan (26 assists, 13 digs)

Notables
Freshman Jillian Gillen joins the elite list of 25+ kill performances, she is one of 22 players all-time at Arkansas.
Sophomore Ellease Crumpton posted 11 kills behind a match-high .688 hitting percentage.

It was a slow start for the Razorbacks on Saturday morning, always within a few points of the Bobcats, Arkansas just couldn’t manage to pull ahead of Montana State. MSU dominated the entire first set as Arkansas was unable to make up for its errors, both offensively and defensively. Eight service errors and double-digit attack and reception errors would prevent the Hogs from ever starting a rally.

Things began to turn in favor of the Hogs in the third set, as Arkansas recorded 16 kills and a .367 hitting percentage. Arkansas took the first two points of the set with back-to-back kills from Gillen and freshman Maggie Cartwright. Gillen and Cartwright would each contribute four kills apiece in the third set and the Razorback defense held Montana State to only five kills total in the third, hitting only .030 at the net.

Arkansas kept the pressure on the Bobcats, throwing down 17 kills and recording four service aces, one each from Rippee, Crumpton, Gillen, and Cartwright. After jumping out to a 4-0 lead, the Hogs looked to have the fourth set in the bag, but five unanswered points by Montana tied the score at 16-16 late in the set. Arkansas maintained its composure and closed out the set on a 9-2 run.

The Hogs and Bobcats went back and forth in the fifth set with Montana State holding onto an 8-6 lead at the break. Leading 14-13, down to the wire, Cartwright served up the only Razorback ace in the set, helping the Hogs secure the 15-13 final set win.

Arkansas will practice early next week as they prepare for a trip to the west coast for the SDSU/USD Challenge in San Diego, Calif. hosted by San Diego State.

ResultsSet ScoresBox Score
Montana State 3 – Little Rock 025-11, 25-11, 25-21Box Score
Arkansas 3 – Northwestern State 225-18, 25-20, 25-18Box Score
Northwestern State 3 – Montana State 225-22, 16-25, 16-25, 28-26, 15-13Box Score
Arkansas 3 – Little Rock 025-20, 25-21, 25-12Box Score
Arkansas 3 – Montana State 220-25, 28-30, 25-15, 25-18, 15-13Box Score
Northwestern State 3 – Little Rock 025-20, 25-17, 25-17Box Score

Razorbacks dominate on Opening Day

August 30, 2019

By Jessica Roberson/Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas volleyball team secured a pair of victories on Friday on the opening day of the Arkansas Classic. The Razorbacks recorded straight set wins over Northwestern State earlier in the day before taking down Little Rock in front of a rocking crowd at Barnhill Arena.

The Razorbacks have one more match this weekend and will face Montana State on Saturday morning. After the Classic, Arkansas will hit the road to the west coast, headed to the SDSU/USD Challenge hosted by San Diego State.

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Northwestern State 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18)
Attendance: 304 | Time: 1:16
Barnhill Arena

Quick Hits
Stat Leaders vs Northwestern State
Kills: Liz Pamphile, Jillian Gillen – 9
Digs: Klaire Trainor – 11
Notables
Senior Rachel Rippee led all players with 18 assists.
The Razorbacks led for the entirety of the first and third sets.
Arkansas is now 4-0 all-time against Northwestern State.

Junior Liz Pamphile led the Razorback offense with nine kills to the tune of a .412 hitting percentage against the Demons. Junior Hailey Dirrigl finished with a team high .625 hitting percentage through the first two sets after taking the bench due to an ankle injury.

Freshmen Jillian Gillen and Maggie Cartwright both earned a start against NSU, combining for 15 kills. Gillen also added six digs and three block assists to her collegiate debut. In total, five Hogs saw the court for the first time since arriving at Arkansas, including junior transfer Devyn Wheeler who contributed three kills, and redshirt-freshman Maylin Garret to recorded six kills in 10 attempts.

Arkansas limited Northwestern State to an .084 hitting percentage, thanks in part to an overall team effort on the defensive front. Junior Klaire Trainor led the Hogs with 11 digs, but three others recorded six or more digs in the win: Rachel Rippee (8), Jillian Gillen (6), and Gracie Ryan (6).

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Little Rock 0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-12)
Attendance: 767 | Time: 1:21
Barnhill Arena

Quick Hits
Stat Leaders vs Little Rock
Kills: Jillian Gillen – 13
Digs: Savannah Downing, Maggie Cartwright – 10
Double-Doubles: Maggie Cartwright (10 kills, 10 digs)
Notables
Junior Devyn Wheeler recorded eight kills with a .727 hitting percentage.
Arkansas held Little Rock to a .022 hitting percentage over three sets.

Gillen stayed hot throughout day one of the Arkansas Classic, helping lift the Razorbacks to a sweep of in-state opponent Little Rock. Gillen accounted for 35 of the Hogs’ 100 attacks in the victory, recording 13 kills behind a .286 hitting percentage.

Arkansas saw impressive performances from two other newcomers as well, as Cartwright played a balanced game and recorded the first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs. Wheeler was the most efficient Hog of the day, and when combined with her .727 hitting percentage, the trio swung a striking .353 at the net.

Pamphile remained reliable on the defensive side of the ball, putting up five blocks for Arkansas. Gillen, Cartwright, and redshirt sophomore Maia Stripp also recorded multiple blocks in the win.

Arkansas controlled the pace of the entire match, never giving up the lead and keeping the Trojans at bay as to never even tie the score again after a 9-9 set score in the first. The Razorbacks led by as many as 15 points in the final set, thanks to a kill by Gillen with an assist from freshman Abbigail McGee.

The Razorbacks will return to Barnhill on Saturday morning for an 11 a.m. match against Montana State (1-1). Admission is free to all fans, parking is limited and fans are encouraged to park in Baum East down Razorback Road and take advantage of the shuttle service. Shuttles will begin to transport fans from Baum East to Barnhill Arena starting at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.