The Arkansas Razorbacks women’s volleyball team will begin their 2025 season at the Shocker Volleyball Classic in Wichita, Kansas, on August 30-31. The team’s first match is set for Saturday against Kennesaw State at 2 p.m. CT, followed by a game against Wichita State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s opener marks the first-ever meeting between Arkansas and Kennesaw State. Last season, the Owls finished with a 14-17 record and return more players for the upcoming year than any other Conference USA team. They have been picked to finish fourth in their conference.
Arkansas previously faced Wichita State last fall, securing a sweep that put them ahead 3-2 in the all-time series. Wichita State ended its 2024 campaign with an 18-14 record and earned its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017 after winning the American Conference Championship.
Fans can follow live stats for Saturday’s match, while Sunday’s contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
After reaching their first Elite Eight in program history in 2023, Arkansas underwent a rebuilding year in 2024. Veteran setter Hannah Hogue and libero Courtney Jackson were key contributors during this period and now join the coaching staff as assistant coach and graduate assistant respectively.
Middle blocker Zoi Evans returns for her fifth year with Arkansas. She led the team with 121 blocks last season—her second consecutive year leading in that category—and posted a .400 hitting percentage, which was the highest among starters and ranked fourth all-time for single-season hitting percentage (minimum of 200 attempts) at Arkansas since at least 2015. Evans also achieved personal bests with 115 total kills.
Opposite hitter Romani Thurman is back for her junior season after starting every match as a sophomore. She was second on the team with a career-high of 315 kills and led all hitters with a .245 hitting percentage. Thurman also recorded two matches with over twenty kills and had nineteen double-digit kill performances along with eighty-five blocks.
Arkansas added several transfers: libero Gaby Cornier from Florida; outside hitter Lakin Laurendine from Auburn; setter Livia Niu from USF; and setter Kiki Remensperger from Boise State. Remensperger was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year after leading Boise State with five hundred seventy-five assists, ranking second in digs (three hundred sixteen), and recording twelve double-doubles including two triple-doubles—a feat not accomplished by any Boise State player since 2011.
Three freshmen—outside hitter Parker Duncan, opposite Sydney Maue, and middle blocker Journey Peppers—are expected to contribute significantly this season following strong high school careers.
Statistically last season, Arkansas posted a .219 hitting percentage while averaging nearly fourteen kills per set (13.92) along with over sixteen digs per set (16.54). The team averaged just over two blocks per set (2.01).
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