The Arkansas Razorbacks volleyball team put up a fight against No. 9 Texas on Friday night, but ultimately fell 3-1 at Barnhill Arena. Set scores were 25-22, 27-29, 20-25, and 19-25.
Freshman setter Maggie McCarroll made her first career start for Arkansas, contributing 50 assists and 11 digs for a double-double. The last Razorback freshman to record that many assists in a match was Rachel Rippee in 2016. McCarroll, an Austin native, also recorded two service aces, two blocks, and a kill.
On offense, senior Parker Duncan led Arkansas with 19 kills, hitting .242 for the night, and fell just short of a double-double with nine digs. Two other Razorbacks posted strong offensive performances: Laci Bohannan logged 13 kills and a .344 hitting percentage, while Layla Smith achieved 12 kills with zero errors and a .429 percentage, both season highs.
Defensively, Arkansas excelled with three players reaching double digits in digs. McCarroll notched 11, while Madi Benne and Gaby Cornier led the team with 18 each. The Razorbacks also outblocked Texas 12-3, with Smith tallying seven blocks and Romani Thurman contributing six.
The match marked Arkansas' most efficient offensive performance in SEC play this season, finishing with a .281 hitting percentage—their highest since Sept. 18.
The Razorbacks claimed the opening set 25-22, maintaining a narrow lead throughout and sealing the win with a Smith kill. The second set was highly contested, with the Razorbacks leading most of the way before Texas rallied late to win 29-27. The Longhorns carried that momentum into the third and fourth sets, dominating key stretches to secure victories of 25-20 and 25-19, respectively.
Attendance for the match was 2,727, the highest at Barnhill Arena since September of last season and the 10th-highest in Arkansas volleyball history.
The loss brings the Razorbacks to an 8-7 overall record and 0-4 in SEC play. Arkansas will aim to rebound as they continue their conference schedule.