FAYETTEVILLE — Redshirt senior and newly named All-SEC selection Pilar Victoria registered a double-double while freshman Hailey Dirrigl put down 12 kills but No. 6 Kentucky came away with a straight-set win Wednesday night at Barnhill Arena.
With 17 kills against the Wildcats, Victoria became the second player in program history to record 600 kills in a single season.
The Razorbacks are now 18-11 this season with an 8-9 mark in SEC play.
Arkansas returns to the floor Saturday afternoon for its season finale, hosting Auburn on Senior Day.
Prior to the match, the Razorbacks’ senior class of Victoria, Krista Kolbinskie and Kori Ortiz will be celebrated. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT).
FINAL
No. 6 Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-23) | Box Score
Attendance: 958 | Time: 1:29
Barnhill Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
#RazorStats
• Leaders vs #6 Kentucky
o Kills: Pilar Victoria – 17
o Digs: Pilar Victoria – 11
o Blocks: Three tied with 4.0
• Double-Doubles
o Pilar Victoria – 17 kills, 11 digs
With Wednesday’s output, Victoria has now tallied at least 15 kills in 25 of 29 matches this season. Her first kill of the match doubled as her 600th of the season.
She and program kills leader Krystal Osborne are now the only Razorbacks to eclipse the figure in a single season.
Victoria completed the 30th double-double of her Arkansas career with a team-high 11 digs. In 29 matches this season, the senior co-captain is averaging 5.45 kills per set.
Sophomore setter Rachel Rippee had 32 assists in the match to go along with five digs, four total blocks, three kills and two service aces.
With her 19th assist against Kentucky, she moved into eighth on Arkansas’ single-season assists list and now has an SEC-leading 1,269 assists this season.
Rippee was one of three Razorbacks with four blocks against UK along with Kelly O’Brien and Elizabeth Pamphile.
With her six digs, junior libero Okiana Valle became the second player in program history with three seasons of 400 or more digs.
She joins program career digs leader Ashley Miller (2004-07) on that short list.
Kentucky (25-3, 16-1 SEC) jumped out to a 2-0 match lead but the Razorbacks had a quick start to the third set, taking the 6-3 lead after an ace by Victoria.
In a frame that featured 12 ties, Arkansas used back-to-back kills from Victoria and Dirrigl to go ahead 20-18 and force a UK timeout.
However, the Wildcats won six of the next seven points to arrive at match point. The Razorbacks saved two match points with a Dirrigl-Pamphile block followed by another kill from Dirrigl but with its lead down to 24-23, Kentucky got a kill off the block to secure the sweep.
