Volleyball embarks on road trip
Nic Schluterman
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Sports
It is early in the volleyball season to call any weekend "pivotal" to a team's postseason hopes.
But that label could be applied to Arkansas' nearly 2000-mile road trip that begins tonight, just three weeks into the Southeastern Conference slate.
The Razorbacks (4-9, 1-2 SEC) need wins this weekend against a pair of slumping programs if they want to hop back into the NCAA Tournament picture.
First-year Hog head coach Robert Pulliza, however, sounds more excited than worried.
"Every SEC weekend is a fun weekend, and this is a very fun team to travel with," Pulliza said.
The first Razorback barnstorm of the season has its first stop tonight at Georgia (7-8, 0-4), which will be followed on Sunday by a western swing to LSU (6-5, 1-3 SEC).
"Both Georgia and LSU are trying to find their ways, and they'd like to do it against us this week," Pulliza said. "We'd like to beg to differ."
Georgia began the SEC season with losses against every other Eastern Division team. The Bulldogs have managed only one win in 13 conference sets so far.
"Georgia has the potential to be a very good team, although they're struggling a little bit right now," Pulliza said.
Athens is home to conference kills leader Maria Taylor, who accomplished the rare volleyball triple-double against the Hogs in Fayetteville last season.
"Not too many teams around the country can stop [Taylor]" Pulliza said. "That doesn't mean we can't beat them if we can just slow her down a little."
The Razorbacks are 13-4 all-time against the Bulldogs and have won five straight in the series.
Sunday's match in Baton Rouge will pit the Western Division's former powerhouse against the new.
"It's our rivalry, and we're looking forward to going down to the bayou and getting into a battle," Pulliza said.
LSU was the unanimous coaches' favorite to win the SEC West this season, but a run through Eastern Division opponents has left them with a losing conference record through two weekends.
But that label could be applied to Arkansas' nearly 2000-mile road trip that begins tonight, just three weeks into the Southeastern Conference slate.
The Razorbacks (4-9, 1-2 SEC) need wins this weekend against a pair of slumping programs if they want to hop back into the NCAA Tournament picture.
First-year Hog head coach Robert Pulliza, however, sounds more excited than worried.
"Every SEC weekend is a fun weekend, and this is a very fun team to travel with," Pulliza said.
The first Razorback barnstorm of the season has its first stop tonight at Georgia (7-8, 0-4), which will be followed on Sunday by a western swing to LSU (6-5, 1-3 SEC).
"Both Georgia and LSU are trying to find their ways, and they'd like to do it against us this week," Pulliza said. "We'd like to beg to differ."
Georgia began the SEC season with losses against every other Eastern Division team. The Bulldogs have managed only one win in 13 conference sets so far.
"Georgia has the potential to be a very good team, although they're struggling a little bit right now," Pulliza said.
Athens is home to conference kills leader Maria Taylor, who accomplished the rare volleyball triple-double against the Hogs in Fayetteville last season.
"Not too many teams around the country can stop [Taylor]" Pulliza said. "That doesn't mean we can't beat them if we can just slow her down a little."
The Razorbacks are 13-4 all-time against the Bulldogs and have won five straight in the series.
Sunday's match in Baton Rouge will pit the Western Division's former powerhouse against the new.
"It's our rivalry, and we're looking forward to going down to the bayou and getting into a battle," Pulliza said.
LSU was the unanimous coaches' favorite to win the SEC West this season, but a run through Eastern Division opponents has left them with a losing conference record through two weekends.
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