Thomasson's Double-Double Lead No. 16 UK to Sweep at Arkansas
Oct. 24, 2014
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Led by sophomore Anni Thomasson’s 10th double-double of the season, the No. 16 Kentucky volleyball team recorded a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-19) win at Arkansas Friday Night.
The Wildcats (18-3, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) recorded their fifth sweep in their last six matches. UK had five service aces in the win and held the Razorbacks (11-10, 5-3) to .162 hitting with 21 attack errors.
“I was really happy with our serving,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said. “To take away their offensive rhythm was huge. It was nice to see Anni and Shelby [Workman] step up offensively. Overall, we were very efficient attacking.
Thomasson posted 11 kills on .294 hitting with a team-high-tying 12 digs for her second double-double in as many matches. Junior Shelby Workman led the Wildcats with 12 kills on .250 hitting and had nine digs to come up just shy of her third double-double in 2014.
Junior Morgan Bergren had 33 assists and two kills as she directed the UK offense to .248 hitting with 40 kills as a team. Bergren added five digs and a block assist defensively. Senior Lauren O’Conner had seven kills on .278 hitting, while freshman Kaz Brown recorded six kills.
Defensively, Thomasson and senior Jackie Napper each had 12 digs along with Workman’s nine. Brown, junior Sara Schwarzwalder and O’Conner each had two block assists.
UK’s roadtrip continues Sunday at No. 24 Texas A&M. The top-25 matchup will begin at Noon ET and air live on the SEC Network. The Wildcats, who have won seven in a row against the Aggies, beat Texas A&M earlier this season, 3-0 at home.
Kentucky jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the first set thanks to five Arkansas errors. Out of a timeout, the Razorbacks got within three at 8-5, but a kill by Workman and back-to-back Thomasson kills extended UK’s lead again to six at 11-5. The Wildcats continued to add to their lead, which reached eight at 16-8 on a vicious kill down the line by Schwarzwalder. The Razorbacks cut UK’s lead to four at 18-14 and eventually to three at 23-20, but they could not get any closer. Napper sealed a 25-20 win with a service ace after an Arkansas service error, its 13th error of the set, set up set point for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats held the Razorbacks to .028 hitting with nine kills and eight attack errors in the first set. UK hit .216 with 13 kills, led by Thomasson’s five and Workman’s four. The defensive effort, which featured 17 digs and two blocks, was fueled by Bergren and Workman, each with four digs and a block assist. Thomasson also added four digs.
Kentucky, on its way to a 25-20 win in the second set, opened the set with a 7-1 run and closed with a 6-1 run, but in between, it was a back-and-forth battle. After UK opened with a 7-1 lead, the Razorbacks quickly answered with a run of their own to get to within one at 8-7. The two teams proceeded to trade points until the Razorbacks tied the match at 11-11. UK answered with back-to-back points, a kill by Workman and an O’Conner ace, to retake the lead but Arkansas rallied back with four of the next six points to tie the set at 15-15.
The Razorbacks took their first lead of the second frame at 16-15, but the lead never grew to more than one. UK regained the advantage at 19-18 before Arkansas tied it at 19-19. Kentucky posted the next four points and six of the final seven to secure the second-set win.
Much like the first two sets, Kentucky had a strong start to the third set. Two O’Conner kills helped UK give a 7-2 lead, which it extended to 11-5. The opening run was aided by three service aces, one each by Thomasson, Bergren and Workman. With a six point lead, the Wildcats and Razorbacks went back-and-forth until Kentucky’s lead grew to seven at 21-14 on a Workman kill and an Arkansas error. The home team got within five at 22-17, but back-to-back UK points set up match point at 24-17. The Razorbacks scored the next two but could get no closer. O’Conner’s seventh kill of the night sealed a 25-19 win and a sweep on the road for the Wildcats.
UK hit .250 with 13 kills in the third set, led by O’Conner’s five kills on .571 hitting. Workman added three kills and one of Kentucky’s three service aces in the frame.
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