Alabama
12-4 (1-2SEC)
Arkansas
11-4 (1-2SEC)
Alabama Volleyball Fights to Five-Set Victory Wednesday over Arkansas
9/27/2017 10:32:00 PM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball put together a complete team effort in a hard-fought five set win over Arkansas Wednesday night at Foster Auditorium, with set scores of 25-20, 17-25, 30-32, 25-22 and 15-5.
Alabama (12-4, 1-2 SEC) won the opening set of the night before Arkansas (11-4, 1-2 SEC) evened the match with an eight-point victory in set two. The Tide reached set point first in the third set but the Razorbacks ultimately won the back-and-forth battle past the 25-point mark to claim set three, 32-20, and take a 2-1 match lead. Alabama rallied to win set four, 25-22, before clinching the match with a decisive 15-5 victory in the fifth set.
The Tide had five players with double-digit kills and stuffed a season-high 18 blocks as a team, more than double the seven blocks from the Razorbacks. Senior Leah Lawrence had a career-best 12 blocks, just one shy of the Alabama single-match record, and added a team-leading 13 kills for her first double-double. Sophomore Mahalia Swink tied Lawrence for the team lead with 13 kills, a career best for the Bakersfield, Calif. native and freshman Meghan Neelon was one assist shy of tying her own career high, finishing the match with 53.
Alabama got off to a hot start in set one, pulling ahead 10-4 before Arkansas had to regroup with a timeout. The Razorbacks quickly fought back to tie the score at 11-11 but the Tide would not fall behind, moving back in front 12-11 on an Arkansas attack error. Alabama would remain in front for the rest of the frame, holding on to win 25-20.
Arkansas held the early momentum in set two, building a 9-3 lead as Alabama took its first timeout of the game. With the same margin later at 15-9, the Razorbacks would increase its lead with a 4-2 run with the Tide calling its second timeout now trailing 19-11. Arkansas would hold on to win the set by the same margin, 25-17, and even the match at 1-1.
Play was back and forth to begin the third set with nine tie scores before a service ace by Kaylee Thomas gave Alabama a 15-14 lead. Later tied at 17-17, Arkansas scored three-straight to move ahead 20-17 and the Tide called its first team timeout. Alabama immediately rallied back with three points to tie it at 20-20 and force Arkansas to take its own timeout. In the closing stages tied at 23-23, a block from Hayley McSparin would bring Alabama to set point as Arkansas called its second timeout. Back-to-back points from the Razorbacks gave them set point, 25-24, and Alabama called its final timeout. The teams would reach set point a combined six times before Arkansas eventually prevailed, 32-30, to take a 2-1 match lead over Alabama.
The Razorbacks scored the first two points of set four before the Tide responded with three-straight to take the lead and Alabama remained in front, ahead 15-10 at the media timeout. Arkansas would fight back within one point, trailing 20-19, and it would remain a close game down the stretch. A kill from Ginger Perinar gave the Tide set point, 24-22, and Thomas ended the set with a service ace to even the match at 2-2 and force a fifth set.
Alabama came out firing on all cylinders to start the fifth set, scoring three-straight points to take an 8-2 lead as the teams switched sides halfway through the frame. A solo block from McSparin in the next rally made it a six-point game and Arkansas called its final timeout. The Tide finished with authority, closing the set on a 6-2 run to win, 15-5, and complete the five-set comeback victory.
Alabama will be back in action on Sunday, Oct. 1, hosting Missouri (8-7, 1-1 SEC) at 1 p.m. CT in Foster Auditorium.
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