Arkansas hit better than South Carolina on Sunday. The Razorbacks also had more kills and more aces.
None of that showed up where it counts.
The Hogs lost in five sets in Columbia, 25-11, 21-25, 25-19, 21-25, 11-15, and they’re still looking for a first SEC win.
Both teams walked in without a league victory. Only the Gamecocks walked out with one.
Arkansas is now 8-6 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
The schedule isn’t offering any favors, either. The Razorbacks come home for four straight matches, and every one of those opponents is ranked in the top 15.
No. 8 Texas visits Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. on SEC Network+. No. 14 Texas A&M, which won last season’s national title, follows Sunday, Oct. 11, at noon on SEC Network.
Tickets for both are available through the Razorback Ticket Center online, in person or by phone.
Duncan leads a busy stat sheet
Parker Duncan did her part. The sophomore outside hitter led the Hogs with 20 kills, hit .318 and served two aces.
It’s the ninth time she’s reached double figures in kills. She’s now done it in three straight matches.
Senior opposite Romani Thurman added 14 kills. She also had seven blocks, which was the most on the team.
The middles helped, too. Aleki Alexander set a career high with nine kills, hit .316 and added four blocks. Layla Smith had eight kills and six blocks while hitting .294.
Junior setter Kiki Remensperger handed out 51 assists and picked up 19 digs. Both were season highs, and she finished one dig short of a 20-20 match.
As a team, Arkansas hit .214. South Carolina hit .184.
That’s a lot of good numbers for a team that lost.
Blocking was the one place the home team came out ahead. Both clubs rank among the SEC’s top three in that category, and the Gamecocks won it 15-11.
How a 2-1 lead got away
The first set looked like a different match. South Carolina scored the first two points, and then the Razorbacks took over.
A 4-0 run that included a Madi Benne ace put Arkansas in front. The lead was 15-6 at the technical break and grew to 14 before a Gamecocks service error ended it.
South Carolina woke up in the second. After several early ties, the Gamecocks led 12-9 when the Hogs called timeout.
Kills from Duncan, Smith and Thurman cut it to 17-16, but South Carolina regrouped after a timeout of its own and closed it out.
The third set went back to the Hogs. An Alexander kill put them up 10-9, and two kills from Duncan plus one from Laci Bohannan made it 15-11 at the break.
Back-to-back Thurman kills later pushed Arkansas past 20 points.
The fourth set is the one that’ll sting. South Carolina led 11-8, Arkansas tied it at 11 and later went up 18-16. The Razorbacks were seven points from going home happy.
They got three of them. South Carolina tied it, finished on a 7-3 run and forced a fifth.
Duncan opened the last set with an ace. After that, the Gamecocks built a lead as large as six.
A Remensperger ace and a block from Smith and Thurman helped Arkansas pull within 11-8. South Carolina still finished it 15-11.
