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Razorbacks get four-set win on road at Kansas on Sunday

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Behind career-high outings from sophomores Hailey Dirrigl and Elizabeth Pamphile, Arkansas registered a 3-1 road victory Sunday afternoon over Kansas.

The win snapped a four-match skid in the series and marked the Razorbacks’ first win in Lawrence since the 2013 season. Arkansas heads into next weekend’s road trip with a 1-1 record.

The Razorbacks next travel to Minneapolis, Minn., for the Diet Coke Classic (Aug. 31-Sept. 1) for two days of play against Georgia Southern, North Dakota State and fourth-ranked Minnesota. Arkansas’ next home match is Sept. 7 against Butler.

FINAL
Arkansas 3, Kansas 1 (25-13, 26-24, 21-25, 27-25) | Box Score
Attendance: 1,302 | Time: 2:15
Horejsi Family Center (Lawrence, Kan.)

#RazorStats
• Stat leaders at Kansas
• Kills: Hailey Dirrigl – 25 (career high)
• Digs: Okiana Valle – 18
• Blocks: Elizabeth Pamphile, Maia Stripp – 6.0
• Kansas (receiving votes) is the first of six opponents this season to appear in the AVCA preseason rankings.
• There has only been one sweep in the 13-match series between Arkansas and Kansas.

Dirrigl led all players with a career-high 25 kills, becoming the 21st player in program history to reach that figure in a match. She finished the match with a .290 hitting percentage to go along with seven digs and two blocks.

The Phoenix, Arizona, native had at least five kills in each set including eight kills in the fourth. Junior Reagan Robison came in off the bench to contribute with nine kills over the final two sets including the match-winning kill.

From the middle, Pamphile established a career high of her own with 16 kills against Kansas. With Sunday’s performance, she surpassed her previous best of 12 kills from her freshman campaign.

Pamphile and fellow middle Maia Stripp each had six blocks in the match. Stripp teamed up with Dirrigl for a block to win the second set.

Junior setter Rachel Rippee registered 47 assists, nine digs, three blocks and two service aces. For the second-consecutive match, she finished just one dig shy of a double-double.

Senior libero Okiana Valle had 18 digs to lead a quintet of Arkansas players with at least seven digs. Lauren Evans and Paige Johnson each had eight digs in the win.

Behind a blistering .464 hitting percentage and four total team blocks in the opening set, the Razorbacks took the early 1-0 match lead. Kansas (1-1) responded by winning the first four points of the second and led by as many as six late in the set.

The home team was poised to even the match with a handful of set points at 24-21 but Arkansas won the last six points to secure the 2-0 match lead.

The Jayhawks took the third set to get on the scoreboard. With Arkansas looking to close out the match and Kansas looking to force a fifth, the two teams battled through a fourth set that featured 15 ties and five lead changes.

The Razorbacks led 21-19 before Kansas won five of the next six points to grab a handful of set points.

After a KU attack error, Dirrigl had a kill to tie the score at 24-all and on the team’s second match point, Robinson tipped over the block for the final point.