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Hear from the Hogs: Volleyball on the Eve of First Scrimmage

The 2019 season is upon us and the University of Arkansas volleyball team is less than 24 hours removed from its first scrimmage of the preseason. The past week has been full of practice, preparation and training as the team readies themselves for competition in just two weeks.

The Razorbacks’ first scrimmage of the preseason will be Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Barnhill Arena. The event is open to the public and will hold a lose inters quad scrimmage structure. It’s the perfect opportunity for fans to meet the new Razorbacks and check out what Arkansas has been up to so far this fall.

Fans can catch the Razorbacks in action in 13 matches over 12 contest dates in Barnhill Arena this fall. With a newly designed court under their feet, the team will play host to two AVCA Top 25 Preseason programs, No. 10 Florida and No. 19 Tennessee.

Preseason Plans

The Razorbacks reported for fall camp on Friday, Aug. 9 and since then have jumped right into skills training and practice. Arkansas will have two scrimmages, Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 in preparation for the upcoming season.

“Preseason is everything I thought it would be with this team,” said senior setter Rachel Rippee. “They are such a special group of girls and it’s so fun to be able to get after it and compete with one another in practice, every day. We are embracing the grind together and its truly a special group to be around.”

Maggie Cartwright, a freshman outside hitter from Kimberly, Wis. said, “Preseason has been awesome so far! I’ve really enjoyed being coached by Coach Watson, Coach Meg and Macey. The team has had great energy and chemistry, so practices have been really fun and really competitive. Everyone is bringing their best so I’m excited to see us in action on game day.”

 New Season, Clean Slate

Arkansas was tabbed to finish ninth in the SEC Preseason Coaches poll last month, but the Razorbacks have a different view of where the team is headed this season.

“We’re learning how to communicate with each other and how to trust each other,” said returning middle-blocker Liz Pamphile. “We’re ultimately getting on the same page which was something I think was missing last season that we needed.”

 Junior Hailey Dirrigl returns to Barnhill as the reigning 2018 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the year, she commented on the new relationships the team is forming and how it’s helping them compete and excel in practice, “Team bonding has been awesome, we are coming together outside of practice and enjoying each other’s company. The time we spend together outside of Barnhill has really helped us trust one another on the court. It is a much healthier environment than last season, both with the bonds we made between athletes and the relationships with the coaching staff.”

Setter Gracie Ryan has been overjoyed with the amount of improvements the team has made during the offseason, “We have been super dedicated on figuring out how each of us plays so that we can make the right adjustments to improve how we play as one team and one unit.

“We’ve done some team bonding and hangouts which have been really fun and helped us get to know each other better,” Ryan said. “The chemistry we have on the team has been so positive, selfless, and fun. The way we’ve engaged each other in practice this first week is more than we ever have before; we have pushed each other physically and mentally, critiqued each other, and most importantly cheered each other on.”

New Faces, More Improvements

Arkansas finished the 2018 season in the bottom half of six different statistical categories last season, but that isn’t keeping them from focusing on the year ahead. The Razorbacks return nearly all their statistical leaders and bring in six newcomers, including junior transfer Devyn Wheeler who was named to the 2017 ASUN All-Freshman Team at North Florida before making the move to the SEC.

Wheeler has been a prominent face in the new Razorback offense, “We have been focusing on each aspect of volleyball. Each practice we focus on certain things, such as one practice is focused on blocking and serving, and another practice is focused on hitting and defense. I think our team is doing very well with our serving skills, working to use our serves efficiently in throwing our opponents out of sync.”

“Arkansas has been a great to me ever since I transferred here in January.” Wheeler said. “The university is beautiful, and the athletic program is organized, there are a lot of opportunities for me to succeed here. I’m very excited to play in Barnhill this season to experience the atmosphere and all the Arkansas fans.”

“I’m extremely excited to see how big of an impact our freshmen are going to be for this team,” Dirrigl added. “They have been outstanding this summer and preseason. We have set high expectations for ourselves as a team and as individuals and I think they’ll help us reach and even exceed those expectations.”

Dissecting the Schedule

The Razorbacks will hit the road for nearly all of September, seeing Barnhill for just the Arkansas Classic on Aug. 30-31 and when they host University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff on Sept. 10. The Hogs will travel from coast to coast, visiting San Diego, Calif. and College Park, Md. After tournament play, the team will jump in conference play where they will face some of the toughest competition in the nation.

“I’m personally excited to play Montana State,” Dirrigl said. “I have a couple former teammates on that team, and it’ll be fun to compete against them. I’m also excited to travel to Maryland because that’s where I was born, and I have a lot of family coming that have never seen me play. Playing in the SEC is so much fun because it’s so competitive. I really believe anyone can win at any given time and it’s more so about grit and the will to win than true talent over one another.”

Ryan returns for her junior season focused and prepared for the high level of competition ahead, “The SEC has some really great teams and I think if we can maintain game composure, stay in our eyes, and play with a relentless competitive nature, the Razorbacks are going to be another name on that list of ‘teams to watch out for’.”

“I’m excited for the variety of teams that we will play in preseason,” Pamphile said about the 2019 slate. “We’re playing teams on all ends of the spectrum and I’m sure they’ll all show us something that we can do better for the next opponent. Playing in the SEC and those conference games are unmatched. It’s a higher level of intensity and the urge to win is heightened ten notches. I’m especially excited to play Florida because that’s a team we’ve always started off strong against off but can never finish. I have a feeling this is our year, our year to finish!”

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