Volleyball Falls at No. 15 Florida in Weekend Opener
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Arkansas volleyball team opened its weekend road trip with a straight-set loss to No. 15 Florida Friday evening at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville. The Razorbacks were led by junior Pilar Victoria’s 10 kills while freshman Okiana Valle paced the defense with 10 digs. With Friday’s setback, Arkansas drops to 13-6 overall with a 3-4 record in SEC play.
With her 10 kills, Victoria has reached double digits in each match this season. She added three digs and two services aces against Florida (14-4, 6-3 SEC). Chanell Clark-Bibbs added five kills for the Razorbacks while Barbara Dapic, Danielle Harbin and Ana Sofia Jusino each had three. At the net, Breana Jones came in off the bench to register a team-high three total blocks.
FINAL
No. 15 Florida 3, Arkansas 0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-16)
O’Connell Center | Gainesville, Fla.
Attendance: 2,186 | Time: 1:22
#RazorStats
• Leaders at No. 15 Florida
o Kills: Pilar Victoria – 10
o Digs: Okiana Valle – 10
o Blocks: Breana Jones – 3.0 (0-3)
Down a set and facing a four-point deficit in the second, the Razorbacks scored five of six points to pull even at 12-all after a kill by Danielle Harbin. Out of a Florida timeout, the teams exchanged points including a kill out of the middle by Ana Sofia Jusino to tie the score at 13-13. From that point, however, the home team scored 12 of the final 15 points to win the set and take a 2-0 match lead.
Out of the break, the Gators jumped out to an early advantage and led by as many as six points at 8-2. But like they did in the second, the Razorback put together a rally and after consecutive aces from Victoria, the deficit was down to 8-7 to force a Florida timeout. The teams went on to exchange points with Arkansas trailing 13-12 after a tandem block by Jones and Adrien Wohlschlaeger. The Gators used a 5-1 run to pull away late and come away with the three-set win.
Arkansas continues its weekend road trip Sunday at South Carolina (8-12, 1-7 SEC). First serve of the SEC matchup is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (CT) in Columbia, S.C., and will be streamed online through the WatchESPN app. The Razorbacks hold the 24-9 lead in the all-time series against USC with wins in nine of the last 10 meetings. Arkansas’ next home match is Friday, Oct. 30, against Auburn.
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