Alabama
10-15,2-11SEC
Arkansas
16-6,7-4SEC
Alabama Volleyball Fights Back Late but Falls in Four to Arkansas
11/6/2021 2:21:00 PM | Volleyball
The Crimson Tide fought back to set point in the fourth but ultimately fell to the Razorbacks
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Needing to win the fourth set to extend the match, Alabama volleyball overcame a five-point deficit to take a late lead but Arkansas ultimately held on to win, taking the match 3-1.
Alabama (10-15, 2-11 SEC) won the opening set, 25-21, before Arkansas (16-6, 7-4 SEC) won the next two by scores of 25-11 and 25-16. The Crimson Tide trailed 24-19 late in the fourth but rallied to lead 25-24 before the Razorbacks scored three in a row to win, 27-25, and take the match. Kennedy Muckelroy led the team with 14 kills, while Brooke Slusser paced the offense with 31 assists and Dru Kuck led the defense with 13 digs.
The teams were even to start the first set until Alabama began to pull away near the halfway mark, riding a 5-0 run into the media timeout to lead 15-9. The Tide would pull ahead by as much as eight points before Arkansas started to narrow the gap, eventually drawing within two down 23-21. Following a late Alabama timeout, a kill from Kennedy Muckelroy and an Abby Marjama service ace ended it at 25-21.
The Razorbacks held the early momentum in the second, leading 9-4 at the Tide's first timeout. Arkansas went ahead by double digits at the next Alabama timeout, 18-8, and eventually won the set, 25-11. The Tide took an early 9-7 lead in the third but the Razorbacks rallied with five unanswered to pull back ahead 12-9 and force an Alabama timeout. Leading by the same margin later at 16-13, Arkansas went on a 6-1 run to extend its lead and held on to win, 25-16.
Neither team led by more than two in a tightly contested fourth set until the closing points when the Razorbacks led 21-18 and the Tide spent its second timeout. Arkansas reached set point at 24-19 but Alabama didn't go down quietly, scoring four in a row capped by a Sydney Gholson service ace to make it a one-point game. Following a Razorback timeout, the Tide scored back-to-back to take set point, 25-24, and Arkansas quickly burned its final timeout. A service error tied it up and gave the Razorbacks possession and the visitors scored two more to win, 27-25.
Stat Leaders
- Kills: Kennedy Muckelroy - 11
- Assists: Brooke Slusser - 31
- Digs: Dru Kuck - 13
- Blocks: Three tied - 3
- Aces: Abby Marjama - 2
Set-by-Set
- Set 1: Alabama 25, Arkansas 21
- Set 2: Arkansas 25, Alabama 11
- Set 3: Arkansas 25, Alabama 16
- Set 4: Arkansas 27, Alabama 25
Match Notes
- The loss snaps a six-match home win streak over Arkansas
- Each of the last seven contests between Alabama and Arkansas in Foster Auditorium have gone past three sets
- Sydney Gholson's service ace to make it a one-point game late in the fourth was the first of her career
- The match was Kennedy Muckelroy's 11th of the season with double-digit kills
Up Next: Alabama vs. Arkansas (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
- Sunday, Nov. 7 – 3 p.m. CT – SEC Network
