Florida began all three sets off on a strong foot but struggled to stay in front towards the end as they failed to make a comeback and keep control of the ball.
UF freshman outside hitter Kennedy Martin fought to keep the Gators alive in the final moments, but Florida was outscored as the Razorbacks seeped through the blocks and found gaps for kills.
The Gators defensively could not connect with the ball as it slipped past their fingertips and out of their hands the majority of the time. The battle then came to an end when Arkansas found its way to the final two game-winning points.
The No. 19 Florida Gators (14-5, 6-4 SEC) were swept by the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-3, 10-1 SEC) 3-0 Sunday afternoon in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Florida started off set one strong with back-to-back kills from Martin and senior middle blocker Nnedi Okammor. A service error from Arkansas graduate student Maggie Cartwright pushed the Gators’ lead early into the set.
After a call made on a touchback, Florida head coach Mary Wise challenged the call. The review was ruled in the Gators’ favor which sealed a point for UF senior outside hitter Sophia Victoria’s kill.
However, a series of attack errors from Florida allowed the Razorbacks to bring the game to 11 apiece.
Florida began to fall back defensively and lose control of the ball as it fell out of bounds multiple times. Arkansas responded with its first lead of the game 13-12, as the Gators continued to let the ball slip past their hands.
A powerful serve from UF senior outside hitter AC Fitzpatrick fought to bring Florida back into the game, but it backfired when the serve was bumped back across the court which resulted in a Razorback kill.
A series of Florida attack errors pushed Arkansas' lead to 22-16, but the Gators struggled to keep the ball in the air. A kill from Cartwright set match point for the Razorbacks and an attack error from Martin in an effort to block the ball was broken through as she fell to the ground.
Arkansas won set one with a 25-19 victory.
The Gators responded from their set one loss with an early lead in set two 2-0. A powerful block from Okammor kept the Razorbacks in a deficit as the Gators dominated.
A series of Arkansas attack errors in which they failed to get point-saving dives continued to keep the Gators in the lead 12-9. Florida began to fall behind as the ball would slip past their fingertips and onto the floor.
The Razorbacks answered with a 17-15 lead over the Gators. A ball-handling error from Arkansas junior setter Hannah Hogue brought Florida back into the game.
A dual block from Martin and Okammor fought to keep Florida in the mix, but back-to-back kills from Cartwright and senior outside hitter Taylor Head sealed the set win, 25-20.
Florida took the lead 6-5 early in set three. Cartwright kept the Gators on their toes as she continued to find open gaps in which she could score kills to tie the game at seven apiece.
A kill from Martin kept the Gators in the game and allowed them to regain their lead 10-9. Kills from Victoria and Martin kept Florida alive in the back-and-forth battle as the Razorbacks led 19-18.
A kill from UF junior middle blocker Gabrielle Essix and a service ace from Martin put Florida at a slim 20-19 lead. A kill from Hogue brought the Razorbacks back in the lead 22-21 in the final moments.
A kill from Razorbacks Jillian Gillen put Arkansas at match point in which the game-winning point was secured by Head to win the set 25-23.
UF will play the No. 12 Tennessee Volunteers at 7 p.m. Friday. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
Contact Alyssa Britton-Harr at abritton-harr@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @abrittonharr.
Alyssa Britton-Harr is a second-year journalism major and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spending time with her friends.
