Last Saturday afternoon at the Knight Sports Complex, the 305 Challenge tournament came to an end with the Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-4) falling 21-25, 25-18, 22-25, and 19-25 to the No. 25 Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2). It was a hard-fought match between the SEC rivals.
Emily Merrick led the way in the game, hitting.344 and added two blocks to go along with a career-high 14 kills. With a season-high four aces and 11 kills and 10 digs, Mia Wesley finished barely behind and recorded her third double-double of the year. Against the Razorbacks, Simone Overbeck recorded a career-high 10 kills and finished with 10 digs for her first double-double of the year.
On defense, Emily Contreras finished with eight digs while Maddie Correa led the back court with 21. With three blocks apiece from Katelyn Cochran and Reagan Leinen, Aliyah McDonald led the team with four blocks.
The game began with a 2-0 lead for Arkansas. Leinen, Wesley, and an ace from Wesley helped Tech respond with a 3-0 run. The Razorbacks went on a 5-0 run to take an 8-4 lead, despite the Red Raiders’ 4-3 lead. Tech won four straight points on another ace play by Wesley and a block assist from Cochran and Leinen to make it 17–13, but Arkansas had already taken a 17–9 lead. Nevertheless, the Razorbacks were able to hold onto their advantage and won the opening set 25–21.
Tech opened the second set with back-to-back kills from Merrick and Wesley. The Red Raiders held on to the lead thanks to more kills by Cochran and Overbeck before Arkansas tied the set at 8-all.
Tech responded by winning three of the next four points on a kill from Merrick and a block assist by McDonald and Merrick for an 11-10 advantage. A kill from Overbeck gave Tech a close, 15-14 lead heading into the media timeout. The Red Raiders maintained their lead after the timeout, highlighted by a 4-0 run to end the set with a 25-18 score thanks to an ace from Overbeck.
Thanks to kills by Wesley and Merrick, as well as another ace from Overbeck, the Red Raiders took a 5-2 lead over Arkansas early in the third set. Arkansas took a 7-6 lead after winning five of the following six points, but Wesley’s second slam tied the game.
The Razorbacks took an 8-8 tie and scored five baskets to take a 13-9 lead and force a Tech timeout. With two aces from Wesley and a kill by Overbeck, the Red Raiders fought back, going on a 5-0 run to knot the set at 17 all. After regaining the upper hand, the Razorbacks concluded the set with a 25–22 victory.
In the fourth set, Tech and Arkansas deadlocked several times before Overbeck and Leinen’s block helped them win 6-6. After then, the Razorbacks would lead the set 12–8, forcing a Tech timeout. Arkansas maintained their edge, winning by four to take an 18–14 lead. Tech persisted in their fight, but the highly regarded Razorbacks prevailed in four sets, 25-19.
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