UA volleyball hosts UConn Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas volleyball team plays its final match Saturday hosting Connecticut at 1:30 p.m. in Barnhill Arena.

Arkansas enters the weekend with a 12-18 overall record while the Huskies are 21-18 on the year.

The Lady’Backs have been paced by a balanced offense that has seen several different players contribute throughout the year.

Senior Jessica Dorrell, who was recently honored by the Southeastern Conference with second-team honors, is the team’s leading kill-getter with 487 kills and a team-best 4.16 kill-per-game average. Dorrell became the 12th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-kill mark and has moved into the ninth spot entering the final match.

"I’m very proud of Jess and the season she’s had," said Arkansas head coach Chris Poole. "She’s gotten more dynamic and quicker this year and I applaud her for how hard she worked even at the end of the year.

Freshman middle Sarah Freudenrich was named to the SEC all-freshman team this week and has improved with each match becoming one of the team’s leaders as well.

The Broken Arrow, Okla., native is hitting .275 with almost 200 kills. She is the team’s leading blocker with 171 total blocks and a 1.46 block-per-game average this week.

"Sarah has been a great surprise for us," said Poole. "She is only going to get better. She has a great attitude and is very serious on the court. She’s also very coachable and I’m looking forward to her next three years."

Junior Christina Lawrence has also been quietly coming on at the end of the season. Lawrence, a Sullivan, Mo., native, leads the team with a .299 hitting percentage that includes 276 kills. Lawrence has been slowed by a late-season back injury but still posted solid numbers in the final weeks of the season.

Freshman Heather Royal picked up a big part of the offensive role this year as well. Second on the team with 320 kills and a 2.74 kpg average, Royal will likely be the offensive go-to player next year.

Arkansas must first get through Connecticut this weekend. The Huskies are coming off a quarterfinal loss at the Big East Conference Tournament.

Connecticut is hitting .221 lead by Sade Chambers who has a team-best 343 kills and 3.40 kills per game this season.

Saturday’s match concludes the 2007 season for the Lady Razorbacks. For more information about Arkansas volleyball please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.