Kentucky Takes Match One Over Arkansas, 3-1

Whereas the Razorbacks received out to a scorching begin of their collection opener with the No. 19 Wildcats, the visiting workforce fired again with three straight set wins and took a 3-1 victory on Friday night time.

Arkansas is now 11-4 on the season and 2-3 in SEC play. Kentucky strikes to 8-5 and is 4-1 within the league.

A shiny spot of the night time got here within the type of the Hog protection, which put up a season-high 17 blocks within the match, essentially the most as a workforce since 2015. Graduate center Tatum Shipes led the hassle and tallied two solos and two block assists for a brand new profession excessive of 14, which ties for third within the Arkansas single-match metric, and essentially the most blocks in a match for a Hog since 2005.

Set 1
Arkansas took the primary level of the opening set, and the Hogs by no means surrendered the lead from then on. The Hogs didn’t enable the Wildcats to attain greater than two factors at a time, whereas Arkansas strung collectively an enormous five-point run to take the result in eight at 18-10. The Razorbacks have been the primary to twenty off a block from Shipes and junior Taylor Head, which despatched Kentucky to a timeout. The Wildcats lower the result in 5, however two assault errors handed the set to the Hogs, 25-18.

Set 2
The motion was tight within the begin of the second and the Razorbacks led early, however the Cats scored 4 unanswered factors and went up 6-3. The Hogs then went on a four-point run of their very own, which was capped off by back-to-back blocks by Shipes and Hailey Dirrigl for a 7-6 benefit. Kentucky started to settle in after that and scored six factors to Arkansas’ one for a 12-8 lead. Arkansas referred to as time, and whereas Arkansas got here inside three, Kentucky fired proper again and went up 22-14. The Hogs couldn’t swing the momentum again the way in which of the house workforce and a kill for Kentucky ended one other set 25-18, this time for the Wildcats, and tied the match at 1-1.

Set 3
The Wildcats wasted no time within the third, and rolled with a 10-2 lead. The Hogs continued to battle and got here inside two at 15-13, led by two kills from Maggie Cartwright. Kentucky then referred to as time and regrouped with a pair of factors, however Arkansas discovered a groove and rattled off 5, which included a solo block and two block assists from Shipes, and the Hogs took a 18-17 lead. Kentucky received proper again in it with 4 unanswered factors, and Arkansas couldn’t tally a couple of without delay after that. The Wildcats completed it off with a kill at 25-21 and took a 2-1 lead into the fourth.

Set 4
The Hogs had no reply for the Cats early once more, and Kentucky rapidly went up 10-4 within the fourth. The Razorbacks got here inside two due to a four-point streak capped off by an ace from Shipes, and pushed the deficit to at least one shortly after, however Kentucky regained a three-point cushion of 15-12 on the media timeout. Arkansas stored it shut from there and held the Cats to a one-point edge 3 times, and Kentucky huddled up 19-18. A ball dealing with error tied it at 19-all, however Kentucky added three fast factors for a 22-19 benefit. The Cats reached set level, however the Hogs spoiled it with a kill from Jill Gillen and a block from Shipes and Cartwright, and Kentucky referred to as time once more, forward 24-22. One other block from Shipes and Cartwright pushed it to 24-23, however Kentucky despatched down a kill for a 25-23 victory.

Up Subsequent
Arkansas and Kentucky wrap up the season collection on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Barnhill Area. The match can be streamed dwell on SEC Community Plus. Tickets can be found on-line or in individual by the Razorback Ticket Middle. Grownup tickets are solely $5 and children 17 and underneath get in free.

Extra Data
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