Volleyball

Dirrigl, Victoria Pace Razorbacks in Home Sweep

October 13, 2017

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After playing five sets in four of its last five matches, the University of Arkansas volleyball registered a straight-set win over South Carolina Friday evening at Barnhill Arena. Redshirt senior Pilar Victoria posted her 11th double-double of the season with 13 kills and a match-high 16 digs. She was joined in double digits by freshman Hailey Dirrigl who had 13 kills of her own. With the win, the Razorbacks improve to 13-6 overall with a 3-4 mark in SEC play.

FINAL
Arkansas 3, South Carolina 0 | Box Score
Attendance: 1,019 | Time: 1:13
Barnhill Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)

#RazorStats

  • Leaders vs South Carolina
    • Kills: Hailey Dirrigl, Pilar Victoria – 13
    • Digs: Pilar Victoria – 16
    • Blocks: Kelly O’Brien – 4.0 (0-4)

Behind 37 assists by sophomore setter Rachel Rippee, the Razorbacks tallied a .327 hitting percentage which marked the team’s high mark in a conference match this season, and its fifth outing with a .300 or higher efficiency. Victoria and Dirrigl finished the match with hitting percentage of .312 and .286, respectively. Freshman middle blocker Elizabeth Pamphile led all attackers with a .538 hitting percentage on her way to eight kills.

Defensively, Arkansas held South Carolina (9-8, 2-3 SEC) to a .091 hitting percentage. Kelly O’Brien led the efforts at the net with four total blocks while Pamphile added three of her own. Behind the block, junior libero Okiana Valle picked up 10 digs and moved into fourth place on the program’s all-time digs list. The Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, native has 1,151 digs in her Razorback career.

Friday’s win was the team’s eighth sweep of the season, and second during conference play. The Razorbacks also improve to 7-1 on their home floor during the 2017 campaign.

In the opening set, the Razorbacks went on a 7-2 run to turn a one-point lead into a 16-10 advantage. Arkansas benefitted from four South Carolina errors during that stretch. On the team’s second set point, Victoria sealed the 1-0 match lead with a kill off the block. Carrying the momentum into the second set, Arkansas jumped out to a 13-3 lead. The visitors never got closer than six points and the Razorbacks grabbed the 2-0 lead on a Gamecock attack error.

Playing in front of 1,019 fans, Arkansas jumped out to a similar start in the third and led 14-3 after a tandem block by O’Brien and Fernanda Güitron. Back-to-back kills by Dirrigl lifted the home team to a 19-5 lead. After a timeout called by head coach Jason Watson, secured the match by winning five of the final seven points of the set. An ace by Rippee gave the Razorbacks match point and Victoria capped the sweep with her 13th kill.

With a week between matches, the Razorbacks return to the court next Friday, Oct. 20, for a road match at Texas A&M in College Station. All eight meetings between the two programs have come since the Aggies joined the conference in 2012. Arkansas’ next home match is Sunday, Oct. 22, when the team hosts Mississippi State at 12 p.m. (CT).

For more information about Arkansas Volleyball, follow @RazorbackVB on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

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