On the Road to the K-State Invitational
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On the heels of three wins to open its 2017 campaign, the University of Arkansas volleyball team travels to Manhattan, Kan., for the K-State Invitational which begins Thursday against the host Wildcats. Arkansas (3-0) is also set to face sixth-ranked Wisconsin and Syracuse during the three-day event.
2017 K-State Invitational | Match Notes
Thursday, Aug. 31
7 p.m. – Arkansas at Kansas State
ESPN3 | Live Stats
Friday, Sept. 1
5:30 p.m. – Arkansas vs No. 6 Wisconsin
Live Stats
Saturday, Sept. 2
11 a.m. – Arkansas vs Syracuse
Live Stats
Against the Field
Arkansas has a combined 5-9 record against the field at this weekend’s K-State Invitational with 10 of those 14 against the home team. Arkansas and Syracuse will be meeting for just the second time, and first time since the 1999 season. Arkansas and Kansas State will be meeting for the fifth time in as many years.
Rippee Garners SEC Accolades
In recognition of her standout performance during the season-opening Arkansas Classic, sophomore Rachel Rippee earned SEC Setter of the Week accolades. The Springfield, Mo., native averaged an SEC-leading 11.80 assists per set and directed the Razorbacks to a .274 hitting percentage during the opening weekend. Rippee is the second Razorback to win the award since its inception in 2015 (Adrien Wohlschlaeger).
Top-10 Outburst
In its last match, Arkansas beat Utah State (Aug. 26) behind its .422 team hitting percentage which marked the 10th-highest figure in program history. After committing seven attack errors in the opening set, the Razorbacks had just three combined errors in the next two sets. It was Arkansas’ first top-10 offensive outing since 2013.
Welcome Back, Pilar
After missing the 2016 season with injury, redshirt senior Pilar Victoria made the most of her return with a 6.80 kills per set while hitting .406 during the Arkansas Classic. She had at least 19 kills in each match including a 26-kill effort against Utah State, her fifth-career match with 25 or more kills.
Point, Arkansas
Through the opening weekend of the season, Arkansas leads the SEC with 2.30 service aces per set. Individually, Okiana Valle and Krista Kolbinskie each have six aces to lead the team. Six different Razorbacks—Kolbinskie, Valle, Pilar Victoria, Rachel Rippee, Elizabeth Pamphile and Klaire Trainor—had at least one ace.
The Razorbacks’ next home match is Tuesday, Sept. 5 when the team welcomes Oral Roberts to Barnhill Arena. First serve of the regional matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. Season tickets are still available with pricing options beginning at $40 and can be purchased through the Razorback Ticket Center by calling 800-982-HOGS (4647).
For more information about Arkansas Volleyball, follow @RazorbackVB on Twitter.
