The 16th-ranked Arkansas volleyball team returned to Barnhill Arena Friday night and opened its SEC slate in dominant fashion, cruising to a straight-set sweep over South Carolina, 25-11, 25-15, 25-18.
Three Razorbacks – graduate Jill Gillen, senior Taylor Head and junior Hannah Hogue – finished the night with double-doubles. Gillen led Arkansas with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Head contributed 18 digs and 13 kills. Hogue tallied 35 assists and 13 digs.
Head also led the Hogs with three of their eight service aces, while holding the Gamecocks to zero. Carolina’s .018 hitting percentage was also a season-low for an Arkansas opponent.
The Razorbacks got off to a hot start in the first set with a 9-2 run, then extended it to 12, before closing it out with two straight points. Set 2 started a little tighter, before a pair of kills by junior Sania Petties doubled the lead to 10-5. Arkansas pushed it to seven off a dump kill and an ace from Hogue. A Carolina service error pushed the Hogs to 20 points, then back-to-back kills from Gillen finished it off for the Razorbacks.
The Hogs hit .237 in the second set, while the Gamecocks were held to minus-.056.
Carolina seemed rejuvenated early in the third set, taking the lead on four occasions. But a four-point Razorback run, capped off by kills from graduate Maggie Cartwright and Gillen, got the Hogs an 11-9 advantage. Another four-point run made it 17-12, before another Gillen kill sealed the sweep.
Arkansas’ current three-match homestand will continue Sunday at 3 p.m., as Texas A&M enters the Barn. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+.