Volleyball Moves to 2-0 in SEC Play with Win at Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Pilar Victoria led a trio of Razorbacks with double-digit kills, posting a match-high 20 kills in Sunday’s four-set win at Texas A&M. With the victory, Arkansas improved to 12-2 overall with a 2-0 mark in SEC play. She was joined in double figures by Chanell Clark-Bibbs with 12 and Breana Jones with a season-high 11. Arkansas returns to Barnhill Arena next Sunday for their SEC home opener against No. 5 Florida. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CT).
Defensively, Clark-Bibbs had a career-high nine blocks to lead the Razorbacks’ efforts at the net. Behind the block, libero Okiana Valle had a team-high 13 digs and was one of five players with seven or more digs. Arkansas finished the match with a .276 hitting percentage while holding the Aggies to a .207 figure.
FINAL
Arkansas 3, Texas A&M 1 (21-25, 25-13, 27-25, 25-22)
Attendance: 1,278 | Time: 2:08
Reed Arena | College Station, Texas
#RazorStats
• Leaders at Texas A&M
o Kills: Pilar Victoria – 20
o Digs: Okiana Valle – 13
o Blocks: Chanell Clark-Bibbs – 9.0 (career high)
After dropping the opener, the Razorbacks won the first three points of the second set but Texas A&M (7-5, 0-1 SEC) responded with a push of its own to take a 10-9 lead. From that point, however, Arkansas was in control with an 8-0 run highlighted by a surge three-straight kills by Danielle Harbin off the bench. Overall, the Razorbacks won 16 of the final 19 points of the set and evened the match at one set apiece with an ace by Victoria.
In a back-and-forth third set, Arkansas never led until the final two points of the game. The Razorbacks saved a pair of set points with kills by Jones and Harbin, the latter tying the score at 25-all. Victoria found the floor to give the team a set point of its own, and Arkansas’ first lead of the game. On the next point, Clark-Bibbs and Victoria teamed up for a block to give the Razorbacks the 2-1 match lead.
Arkansas led 17-13 in the fourth set before the home team rattled off five points in a row to take an 18-17 lead and force a timeout out of head coach Robert Pulliza. The Razorbacks responded by winning the next three points and five of the next six to take a 22-19 advantage on a kill by Clark-Bibbs. Texas A&M pulled to within one at 22-21 but after a block to set up match point, Clark-Bibbs split the Aggie block for her 12th kill and to secure the win.
This marks the third-consecutive year for the Razorbacks with a 2-0 start in SEC play, and the ninth time in program history. Arkansas is in the middle of a stretch with seven-straight matches against teams that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament and with Sunday’s result, the team is 4-1 through five matches.
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