No. 10 LSU too much for Lady'Backs

Jump to LSU box score FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas senior Amy Allison had a career-best 14 kills and hit .571 but 10th-ranked LSU got a four-game win over the Lady’Backs in Barnhill Arena Wednesday. Arkansas (10-5, 3-4 SEC) fell 24-30, 30-20, 26-30, 30-32 to the Tigers (15-1, 7-0 SEC). “We just didn’t do what we needed to to close out the win,” said Arkansas head coach Chris Poole. “Game three was ours but we didn’t step up at the end. We should be good enough at this point to finish those games.” Allison paced the team with her .571 hitting percentage. She added three blocks in the loss. Senior Denitza Koleva added 18 kills and 16 digs while senior Kele Brewer tallied 11 kills and hit .257 in one of her best matches of the year. The Tigers had four players in double-figures led by Kyna Washington with 19 in the win. Unforced errors were very costly in the first game as the Lady’Backs were whistled for 17. LSU battled mistakes early and the first three points of the match were scored on ball handling errors. But the Tigers settled down putting together a solid offensive performance that saw them hit .238 to Arkansas .053. Arkansas was held without a block in the first frame. Arkansas was not deterred by their lack-luster performance in game one. In fact, the Lady’Backs looked like giant-killers hitting .341 in the second game. Koleva exploded hitting .417 with seven kills and Arkansas got on the board with three blocks in the 10-point win. LSU changed up the lineup in the third game and the contest was close early and tied at nine when Arkansas took a lead. The Lady’Backs got a service ace from Dorrell taking the one-point lead, a lead they would stretch to five, 21-16. But LSU roared back late in the frame tying the game at 25 with an ace of their own. Poole burned his final timeout with the tie but couldn’t rally the Lady’Backs. The Tigers’ offense sparked late hitting .356 for the frame paced by seven kills and a .700 hitting percentage from Marina Skender. Allison paced the Arkansas offense hitting .667 with four kills in six tries. Koleva had five kills in game three. Arkansas again started the game on fire in the fourth frame opening a 6-2 lead but LSU’s balanced offense just chipped away using three blocks and a kill to take the 8-7 lead. It was LSU’s turn to run as the Tigers opened a seven-point advantage to lead 20-13, but Arkansas settled down and re-gained some of the momentum with an 8-1 run scratching their way to a 21-all tie. The back-and-forth battle that followed could have ended in either team’s favor but it would be the Tigers who prevailed. The final tie came at 30 with a kill from Destiny Clark followed by a pair of kills for LSU. The Lady Razorbacks continue SEC play at Alabama in a match that is televised by FSN. For more information about Arkansas volleyball, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.