FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chanell Clark-Bibbs led all players with a season-high 17 kills Friday night but the University of Arkansas volleyball team lost in straight sets to No. 16 Kentucky at Barnhill Arena. Defensively, libero Monica Bollinger registered a match-high 16 digs against the Wildcats. With the loss, Arkansas drops to 11-10 overall and 5-3 in SEC play.
With her performance Friday, Clark-Bibbs surpassed her previous high of 14 which she set Oct. 5 in a five setter at LSU. She now has seven matches this season with double-digit kills, three of which have come against SEC opponents. Her 17 kills are the most by a Razorback middle blocker since the 2010 season. Clark-Bibbs finished the night with a .355 hitting percentage on a season-high 31 swings.
Meredith Hays was second on the team with seven kills while Liz Fortado and Ana Sofia Jusino each had five against the Wildcats. Bailee Hankenson dished out 33 assists in the match and had three kills of her own.
With her 16th and final dig of the match, Bollinger moved into sole possession of 19th place on the program’s all-time digs list. She entered the match positioned by Kelli Stipanovich (2008-11) in the career rankings. Bollinger now has 679 digs in her Razorback career and is just 21 shy of becoming the 17th player in program history with 700 career digs. Collectively, Arkansas had 55 digs against Kentucky (18-3, 8-1 SEC) which is a season high in a three-set match.
Already facing a one-set deficit, Arkansas took its first lead of game two at 16-15 on a kill by Hays. The score was tied at 19-all when the Wildcats won six of the final seven points to win the set and take a 2-0 lead into intermission. In the third set, the Razorbacks saved two match points before Kentucky secured the straight-set win with a kill. Friday’s result was Arkansas’ first home loss during conference play.
The Razorbacks continue their weekend Sunday with a road match at Alabama. First serve of the conference matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT) at Foster Auditorium and will be televised on the SEC Network. Melissa Lee and Missy Whittemore will handle the play-by-play and color commentary duties, respectively. Sunday’s contest will be Arkansas’ third appearance on the newly launched network.
Final
#16 Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-19)
Attendance: 1,182 | Time: 1:30
Barnhill Arena | Fayetteville, Ark.
#RazorFacts
• Stat Leaders vs. #16 Kentucky
o Kills: 17 – Chanell Clark-Bibbs
o Digs: 16 – Monica Bollinger
o Blocks: 4 – Chanell Clark-Bibbs, Bailee Hankenson
• Milestone Watch:
o Monica Bollinger moved into 19th place on program’s all-time digs list with 679 career digs
• Chanell Clark-Bibbs: 17 kills most by an Arkansas middle blocker since 2010
o Janeliss Torres Lopez – 22 kills vs. South Carolina (Nov. 21, 2010)
• Out-blocked opponent for 14th time in 21 matches
o Registered 6.0 total team blocks to Kentucky’s four
• Finished match with 55 digs as a team, a season high in a three-set match
• First home loss (4-1) during SEC play
• Next match: Sunday at Alabama at 1 p.m. (CT) in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on the SEC Network
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