FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In a tight-knit match at Barnhill Arena, the Auburn volleyball team (6-14, 0-9 SEC) stumbled at Arkansas in straight sets (22-25, 21-25, 115) Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore Tatum Shipes led the Tigers with 10 kills and added two blocks in the contest. Junior Shaina White, sophomore Chesney McClellan and freshman Lily Thomason each tallied five kills apiece.
For the third time over the last four matches, Auburn recorded double-digit blocks at the net with 10.0 total. Chesney and White led the way with six blocks each. Chesney's six blocks were a season high.
Freshman Bella Rosenthall led the Tigers defensively with eight digs. Junior Payton White added six while junior Morgan Kull chipped in five digs. Kull added 25 assists.
Arkansas (8-13, 20-7 SEC) was led by Jillian Gillen, who recorded 17 kills in the match. Elizabeth Pamphile added 10. Defensively, Savannah Downing recorded 11 digs. Rachel Rippee recorded 24 assits, while Gracie Ryan tallied 20.
Auburn returns home on Friday for a rematch with Mississippi State. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT.
SET ONE
The Tigers and Razorbacks kept the opening stanza close with six tied scores before a 4-0 run by the home squad put Arkansas up 16-12 coming out of the media timeout. Arkansas looked poised to cruise to an easy victory, but the Tigers strung together a late 6-0 run capped off by Shaina White's third kill of the set to tie things up once again at 21-all. Auburn's comeback fell short as the Razorbacks ended the Tiger scoring run with three straight kills to help put the set out of reach, winning by a 25-22 final.
SET TWO
The two squads once again kept it close in the early going, before Arkansas used a 5-0 run to take an 11-8 lead and force an Auburn timeout. The Tigers would claw back within one in the late stages, but Arkansas held on for the 21-25 victory. McClellan and Shipes paced the way in set two with four kills apiece.
SET THREE
Despite Arkansas taking a 5-1 lead early, Auburn battled back to take a 11-10 lead with help of a kill from sophomore Val Green. The Razorbacks fought back to take a one-point lead, 15-14, at the media timeout. With the set tied at 17-17, a 6-0 run by Arkansas proved the difference maker as the Razorbacks took the match with a 25-18 final in the final set.