Razorbacks Drop Season Finale to No. 9 Florida
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Playing its season finale, the University of Arkansas volleyball team saved eight points in the first two sets against No. 9 Florida before the Gators came away with the straight-set victory at Barnhill Arena. Savannah Voelzke capped her Razorback career with a team-high 14 kills while freshman setter Rachel Rippee registered her seventh double-double with 36 assists and 10 digs.
Prior to the match, the Razorbacks recognized the senior class of Voelzke, Barbara Dapic, Danielle Harbin, Breana Jones, Ana Sofia Jusino and Adrien Wohlschlaeger. Arkansas finishes the season with a 9-21 overall record and 7-11 mark in SEC play, having won six of their last nine matches down the stretch.
FINAL
#9 Florida 3, Arkansas 0 (34-32, 26-24, 25-15) | Box Score
Attendance: 783 | Time: 1:43
Barnhill Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
#RazorStats
• Leaders vs. #9 Florida
o Kills: Savannah Voelzke – 14 (ties career high)
o Digs: Rachel Rippee – 10
o Blocks: Ana Sofia Jusino – 5.0 (0-5)
• Double-Doubles
o Rachel Rippee – 36 assists, 10 digs
Dapic continued her strong finish to the season with nine kills coupled with a .333 hitting percentage against Florida (26-3, 16-2 SEC). Saturday marked her ninth match of the season with at least nine kills, six of which came against SEC teams. In the middle, Jones tallied seven kills to go along with a .353 hitting percentage. Rippee set the offense to a .272 efficiency, 103 points higher than Florida’s opponent hitting percentage during conference play.
With seven kills in the match, Harbin increased her season total to 464 which stands as the 14th-highest single-season total in program history. Her 4.22 kills per set average ranks ninth on Arkansas’ all-time season list, a figure that also projects as a top-40 national mark for the year.
In the back-and-forth first set, the Razorbacks saved six set points and had three chances of their own to win the opener. Florida led by as many as four points early in the set but a Jones-Voelzke tandem block evened the score at 15-all, one of the 18 ties in the first frame. Arkansas had its third set point at 32-21 but the visitors responded with three-straight points to secure the 1-0 match lead. It was the Razorbacks’ longest set (points played) of the season.
After another even start in the second, Florida used a surge to take a 22-19 lead and force an Arkansas timeout. However, Voelzke and Jusino capped a 3-0 run with a block to tie the score at 22-all. The Razorbacks went on to save two more set points with a Dapic kill and Florida attack error but the Gators responded with the next two points to win the second. Early in the third, Florida used a 6-2 run to create a cushion on the scoreboard on its way to the win in the regular-season finale for both teams.
For more information about Arkansas volleyball, follow @RazorbackVB on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
