Three in a Row for Victoria

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On the strength of an MVP performance at the SMU Doubletree Classic, redshirt senior and team co-captain Pilar Victoria has been named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for a third-consecutive week as announced by the league office Monday afternoon. In helping the Razorbacks to a 2-0 weekend in Dallas, Victoria averaged 5.75 kills per set while hitting .382 to secure her fifth-career SEC weekly award.

The Razorbacks enter Wednesday’s SEC opener against Tennessee with a 10-2 record, marking the fourth time in program history the team has double-digit wins heading into league play. First serve of the midweek matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU. As part of Band Appreciation Night, the Razorback Drumline will be in attendance.

In the weekend finale, Victoria registered her third 30-kill outing of the season with 31 kills and a .355 hitting percentage in a five-set road win over host SMU. With her 22nd kill of the match, she tallied the 800th kill of her Razorback career. Victoria added 10 digs to complete her seventh double-double of the season. Of the 13 30-kill performances in the nation this year, Victoria has three of them and is the only player in the NCAA with multiple.

Victoria began the weekend with 15 kills on 27 swings with just three attack errors, good for a .444 hitting percentage against Sam Houston State. Additionally, she filled the box score with eight digs, three assists, two services aces and two blocks in the sweep of the Bearkats.

The Caguas, Puerto Rico, native continues to lead the SEC and NCAA with 6.43 kills per set and 6.91 points per set. She also carries a .353 hitting percentage through 12 matches which ranks 11th among attackers in the SEC. Victoria has tallied at least 15 kills in each match this season including seven outings with 20 or more. Producing at an efficient rate through the team’s non-conference slate, she has hit .355 or higher in nine of 12 matches this season.

Victoria was joined on the SMU Doubletree Classic All-Tournament Team by junior libero Okiana Valle and freshman middle blocker Elizabeth Pamphile Valle was recognized as the tournament’s Best Libero with 4.25 digs per set while Pamphile hit .414 in two matches and had nine kills in the win over SMU.

Sophomore setter Rachel Rippee joins Victoria as a top-10 national performer this week. She ranks ninth in the NCAA with 11.82 assists per set and is currently setting the team to a .265 hitting percentage which ranks 31st in the country. In the win at SMU, Rippee had a career-high 59 assists and 14 digs—one off her career best—for her fifth double-double of the year.

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