Despite stretches of dominance throughout the match and forcing a fifth set, the Razorbacks ultimately fell to the Wichita State Shockers on Sunday (18-25, 25-13, 19-25, 25-21, 6-15).

The match was back-and-forth all the way through, with each team handily claiming their set wins. The Shockers outhit the Hogs .261 to .220, but Arkansas had the edge in blocks 11-9.

Freshman outside hitter Parker Duncan tallied 20 kills, three more than her debut on Saturday, and the most by an Arkansas freshman since September 2024. Junior opposite Romani Thurman had 19 kills on 46 swings for a .413 hitting percentage and didn’t tally her first hitting error until the third set.

Thurman also chipped in a team-high seven blocks, while middles Journey Peppers and Zoi Evans contributed four apiece to Arkansas’ 11 total as a team.

Libero Gaby Cornier and defensive specialist Kylie Weeks both had double-digit dig matches: Cornier with 19 and Weeks with 10 and added two aces each.

Sophomore setter Kiki Remensperger continues to fit in very well pacing the Hogs offense with 47 assists and 12 digs, her second double-double in as many matches.

Set 1

While the Shockers were never far behind, the Hogs mostly controlled the pace of the first set through the first 10 points. After that, though, Wichita State went on a huge 9-2 run that put Arkansas in a 17-12 hole and prompted a Razorback timeout. They couldn’t manage to score more than one point at a time, which kept the momentum on Wichita’s side and eventually handed the Shockers the set 25-18.

Set 2

The second set was close between to the two teams to start, but a Wichita State attack service error gave Arkansas the ball back and a huge service run from Remensperger that featured three Hog kills quickly put them up 15-7 and sent the Shockers to a huddle. Wichita State got one back, but it was still all Razorbacks from there. Arkansas got six of the next seven points to extend the lead to 21-9, and a pair of kills from Duncan quickly made it 23-10. Wichita State did find a little bit of life and added three more points, but an untimely error gave Arkansas the set victory 25-13 and tied the match at 1-1.

Set 3

The third set saw three ties through 10 points, but the Shockers began to take over midway through. An 8-3 run put them up 18-13, and the Razorbacks went to a huddle. The Hogs just couldn’t generate any lasting runs from there and Wichita State stayed hot offensively, quickly extending and maintaining its lead. While the Razorbacks were able to stave off set point once, a Shocker kill secured it 25-19 for the home team.

Set 4

In a must-win situation, the Hogs came out swinging in the fourth set, much like they had in the second. They got the lead at 3-2 off a kill from Lakin Laurendine and never surrendered it from there. A couple of Wichita State attack errors and a kill from Duncan made it 10-4 in favor of the Razorbacks, and the Shockers called time. While Wichita State got the first point after, a great service run featuring an ace from Jada Lawson quickly extended Arkansas’ advantage to 14-5 and the Shockers huddled once again. This time, they were able to gain some more ground and came within five, but a three-point run with a kill from Peppers and back-to-back aces from Weeks made it 18-10 Razorbacks. The Shockers kept clawing and made it 20-16 and then 24-21 shortly after, but Laurendine put the set away 25-21, forcing a deciding fifth.

Set 5

Arkansas tied the final set at 2-all early, but after that, the Shockers gave the Hogs no room to breathe. The home team led 8-4 as the teams switched sides and rattled off a commanding 7-2 run the rest of the way for the final 15-6 set victory and 3-2 match win.

Up Next

Arkansas hosts the Wooo Pig Invitational at Barnhill Arena Sept. 4-6. The Hogs will play Cal Poly at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5 and Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. Both single and season tickets are still available, and the matches will also be streamed on SEC Network+.

More Information

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