UA women’s sports notebook: Volleyball host Wooo Pig Invite beginning Thursday night

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE. – Those wanting to take in some University of Arkansas women’s sports action will have plenty of opportunities this weekend with a quartet of volleyball matches and a soccer game.

The No. 21 Razorback volleyball team – which opened its season with three wins in California last weekend – will host the four-team, four-day Wooo Pig Invitational at Barnhill Arena beginning Thursday night.

Arkansas will take on Rutgers on Thursday, Wichita State on Friday and Louisiana Tech on Saturday – all in 7 p.m. games – and then finish out with a match against Little Rock Sunday at 2 p.m.

All of the games are free to the public and will be televised by SEC Network Plus with the Razorbacks honoring last season’s Elite Eight squad before Thursday night’s action.

“It’s good to get home and I think there is some excitement around our program,” Arkansas head coach Jason Watson said. “…You don’t want to go too late in the season before you get to be at home.

“Historically we have opened at home every year. It’s good to be home and if you have listen to me at all, I love Barnhill, I love this arena and I love the intimacy we create here. Fans can get pretty close.”

Arkansas went 14-3 last season at Barnhill and averaged 2,358 fans per game, both of which set program records.

“…I think we have done a pretty good job promoting our team over the last couple of years,” Watson said. “Excited for these fans to start creating relationships with a new and talent group of young kids.”

Promotions this weekend including honoring the Elite Eight team with a ceremony, poster giveaway and new banner on display on Thursday, a Red Out on Friday and a White Out on Saturday.

The Razorbacks downed St. Mary’s (3-2), Sacramento State (3-0) and Cal Poly (3-1) last weekend at the Mustang Invitational in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

The opener was played on Friday and the latter two on Saturday.

“The nice thing about it (this weekend) is it is one a day,” Watson said. “When you open the season like we do, you have to open on Friday and we had those two on Saturday, which is challenging. Sac State and Sal Poly were both good so it is nice to be in this kind of 7 o’clock, 7 o’clock, 7 o’clock routine.”

Arkansas had four players make their debuts last weekend, including North Carolina transfer Romani Thurman.

Thurman, the daughter of former Razorback basketball legend Scotty Thurman, hade 46 kills and 12 blocks in the team’s first three games.

Watson expects some excellent competition at Barnhill this weekend.

Wichita State (2-2), picked second in the American Athletic Conference, lost to No. 13 Kansas in straight sets Wednesday night.

“Historically…Wichita State has a really good volleyball team,” Watson said. “Chris Lamb is the coach there and he has been there for a number of years and I think they go hard.

“We’ve played them every spring and they go hard. They do some things a little different than us. They are a little faster than us so that is going to be this kind of contrasting style.”

Louisiana Tech (3-1), Rutgers (0-3) and Little Rock (3-0) round out the field.

“Rutgers is probably a lot slower than us offensively and Wichita State is faster than us,” Watson said. “And then you get La-Tech, who is off to a good start and will probably figure some stuff out here as they move some things.”

Little Rock is unbeaten and coming off a win over the University of Central Arkansas.

“Little Rock beat a really good Central Arkansas team over the weekend to open their season,” Watson said. “I don’t know how many athletes have ties to the state of Arkansas, but I think they understand the significance of playing on (the Arkansas) campus.

“…They beat us one year up here and I didn’t like that very much.”

 Wooo Pig Invite

Thursday, September 5
Arkansas vs. Rutgers, 7 p.m.
 
Friday, September 6
Little Rock vs. Louisiana Tech, 11 a.m.
Rutgers vs. Little Rock, 4:30 p.m.
Arkansas vs. Wichita State, 7 p.m.
 
Saturday, September 7
LA Tech vs. Rutgers, 12 p.m.
Wichita State vs. Little Rock, 4 p.m.
Arkansas vs. LA Tech, 7 p.m.
 
Sunday, September 8
Arkansas vs. Little Rock, 2 p.m.
 
• • • 

The Razorbacks’ No. 6 soccer team (4-0-1) will also be in action on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with BYU (2-2-2) coming to Fayetteville.

Arkansas lead the NCAA in goals this season with 31after routing Western Kentucky 8-0 last Sunday.

BYU started the season ranked No. 3 and downed No. 19 Wisconsin in its opener, but lost pair of games and a tied a couple in its next four outings.

The Cougars got back in the win column on Wednesday with a 2-0 victory over visiting Boise State.

• • •

Arkansas softball freshman Ella McDowell and Cam Harrison recently helped lead the USA (6-0) to a first-place finish at the WBSC U-18 Softball World Cup Group C Stage.

McDowell hit .733 with 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 11 hits in the Aug. 29-Set. 2 event that was held in Dallas.

Harrison pitched a six-inning complete game victory in a 9-1 win over Canada own Aug. 30 and also pitched a 1-2-3 inning of relief in a 7–0 win over the Philippines two days later.

The USA team clinched a spot in the 2025 U-18 WBSC World Cup Finals in Dallas next year.

• • • 
The Razorback women’s golf team finished runner-up for the season consecutive season Monday at the Carmel Cup, which is played at the Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.

Maria Jose Marin shot a final round 67 on Monday for the lowest round of the day in the 54-hole event and finished second individually in as many years.

Arkansas’ Kendall Todd finished fourth individually for the Razorbacks, ranked seventh nationally in the preseason.

Vanderbilt rallied from third to first on the final day to win the event with a 3-over par 363 to beat Arkansas by two strokes.

Mississippi State, which led heading into the final round, dropped to third.

Arkansas will next be in action when it hosts the Blessings Collegiate Invitational Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Fayetteville.

The 10-team field will also include Missouri, LSU, Ohio State, Mississippi State, BYU, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Kent State and Kansas State.