Coming off a gut-wrenching loss to Missouri on Wednesday in which it threw away a 2-0 set lead, the Florida volleyball team was looking to rebound on the road against Arkansas.
It came up just short.
In a match that swung back and forth, the No. 9 Gators fell 3-2 (23-25, 25-15, 19-25, 25-18, 16-18) to the Razorbacks on Sunday evening in Fayetteville.
After winning 23 Southeastern Conference games in a row, it now feels like the Gators (9-4, 1-3 SEC) can’t even win one.
The loss marks the Gators' first three game conference losing streak since 1989, two years before the arrival of head coach Mary Wise, when the team went 3-5 in conference play.
A kill from junior right-side hitter Alex Holston opened the match for the Gators, the first of her team-high 16 kills during the match.
After trading momentum swings throughout the first set, Florida took a 23-22 lead.
However, like in the Missouri game, Florida failed to put its opponent away when it mattered most.
The Razorbacks (13-2, 3-0 SEC) scored three consecutive points to grab a 1-0 lead.
The pendulum swung Florida’s way during the second set as the Gators took command from the opening serve, embarking on a dominant 18-9 run and eventually taking the set 25-15.
The third set saw momentum shift strongly towards Arkansas once again.
Much like the Gators in the previous set, the Razorbacks were aggressive early and often, punching Florida in the mouth from the beginning and cruising to a 25-19 victory.
With their backs against the wall, the Gators were forced to respond.
They did just that.
Even throughout the first half, Florida was able to pull away in the fourth set thanks in part to an 11-2 run highlighted by Arkansas’ unforced errors. The Gators won handily 25-18 to force a decisive fifth set.
A service error by Arkansas freshman libero Okiana Valle combined with a kill by Florida senior middle blocker Simone Antwi put the Gators up 2-0.
But the Razorbacks fought back.
In the final set, the Gators never led by more than two, while Arkansas never led by more than three. Momentum continued to shift back and forth until Florida tied the match at 14-14 and later 16-16.
Unfortunately for the Gators, the pendulum swung the Razorbacks’ way when it mattered most.
Two attack errors by senior outside hitter Živa Recek ended the Gators’ hopes of pulling out a victory and sealed the win for Arkansas.
But this was a match where the Gators played well enough to win.
Florida amassed 65 kills compared to Arkansas’ 54 and had a more efficient offensive performance, hitting .252 as opposed to the dismal .144 put up by the Razorbacks.
However, Florida still needs to address its recent inconsistency — a worrying trend it will need to reverse to get back on track.
The Gators’ next opportunity to break out of their current slump comes against Texas A&M on Friday in the O’Connell Center.
Follow Brian Lee on Twitter @brianlee_17
UF setter Mackenzie Dagostino (6) and middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan (1) jump for a block during Florida's 3-1 win on Sept. 20, 2015, in the O'Connell Center.
