‘Chemistry’ shines as UA volleyball prevails
ARKANSAS 3, MISSOURI ST. 1
FAYETTEVILLE — It may not have counted for the record, but University of Arkansas volleyball Coach Jason Watson came away pleased with his team’s response under pressure Saturday afternoon in Barnhill Arena.
The Razorbacks rallied from an eight-point deficit to claim the third set, then scored six of the last eight points in the fourth to earn a 25-18, 21-25, 2521, 25-21 exhibition victory over Missouri State.
Watson acknowledged he let players know how playing time would be divided through the first four sets, specifically grouping the starting group in the first and last.
“We put some kids in some stressful situations, and I thought they responded well,” he said. “I think we saw a lot of what we wanted to see. Even that second set, that’s a hard thing and they didn’t make changes that second set.
“I really am pleased with where we’re at, excited that we have another week yet to do some stuff. Overall, I thought there were some good moments.”
The Razorbacks open the season by hosting the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday at 7 p.m. as part of the Arkansas Classic. They finish off the event by facing Louisiana Tech at noon Saturday and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at 7 p.m.
All-SEC outside hitter Jillian Gillen hit a sizzling .394 with a match-high 17 kills, while Taylor Head — last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year — added a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs in the victory.
Head, a 5-10 sophomore from Winter Garden, Fla., said the team’s chemistry is better than a year ago and it showed some in those final two sets.
“We just pulled together as a team and decided, ‘You know what? We can do this,’ ” Head said. “Let’s play our game. We know we can all get the job done and having that mindset can put us even further along.
“It might sound cheesy but our chemistry is better. We got to spend a lot of time together these last couple months.
Watson said he still has decisions to make, specifically at libero and on the right side.
Watson had four players split time at libero during the exhibition. Courtney Jackson, a 5-8 freshman from Olathe, Kan., tied with Head with a match-high 10 digs. She might be the leader of the group, but it’s still too close to call, Watson said.
“I think the four you saw tonight are all in that mix,” he said. “I thought our lib play was better than it was a year ago. We got a little battle on that right side between Hailey Dirrigl and Maggie Cartwright. We got another week to figure that out.”
Cartwright had three kills late in the fourth set for Arkansas. Her back-to-back blasts snapped a 19-19 tie and gave the Razorbacks momentum late in the set.
The addition of 6-1 Abigail Archibong, a graduate transfer from Kansas State, has contributed to improved blocking by the Razorbacks, Watson said. Ellease Crumpton, a 6-3 senior who made 10 starts last season, had a match-high five blocks (one solo), while Archibong added four block assists.
“I think with Ellease, Abigail and Maggie, that forms a pretty nice block that we haven’t seen in a while,” Watson said. “Set one I think we were pretty good at that, and then we spun the dial and we lost some of that. But I do think that first set was pretty nice.”