FAYETTEVILLE — When a respected, national championship-winning coach says something matter-of-factly, you listen.
Such was the case on Aug. 30 after the Arkansas volleyball team nearly upset top-ranked Wisconsin in front of a record crowd at Barnhill Arena. The Razorbacks lost by two points in the fifth set, the closest a team has come to losing in the sport.
Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield, who led the Badgers to a national title in 2021 and has been to the championship game two other times, made a strong remark about the Razorbacks afterward. And he didn’t mince words about it either.
He added: “We had the utmost respect.” “This team is really good. We can tell that on film. We can see the development of their team from last year.
“This is a team that can go far in the NCAA Tournament.”
Three months and 31 games later, the Razorbacks proved Sheffield right. Arkansas, a program that has not advanced past the first tournament weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 1998, became the darlings of the sport with a regional final.
The veteran heavyweight group of undersized, undrafted and gritty players had the best season in program history. And the adjectives used to describe these players explain what made them captivate not only the NCAA Tournament but throughout the entire season.
It was a close-knit group for many. But it was also a team against the grain in today’s college sports landscape.
For the Razorbacks to become one of the eight remaining teams, it took an unwavering commitment. Graduates Jill Gillen and Maggie Cartwright, along with seniors Taylor Head and Hailey Schneider, have stuck with the program for more than four seasons.
They stuck with not just any program, but the program that was struggling.
In 2018 and 2019, the Razorbacks went 11-17 and 11-19, respectively. Arkansas, which posted a 5-13 SEC record in both seasons, was among the league’s cellar dwellers.
But something flipped during the shortened 2020-21 season. The Razorbacks went 14-8. At first glance, the record may not jump off the page, but it did something for the team’s culture: instilled belief.
And if the story of 2020-21 was about gaining confidence, the offseason was about giving Arkansas something it carried during its breakout 2023 campaign: a huge slide.
Despite a 20-11 record, including a 10-8 mark in SEC play, the Razorbacks were left out of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Something Cartwright, Gillen and Head regularly credit with lighting a fire under the team. They felt disrespected. But this is something the trio is no stranger to.
Guillen, who was named a second-team All-American after the season, is a prime example of the qualities the team embodies.
She was told in high school that her game couldn’t succeed in college because of her height. The 5-7 outside hitter has done more than just prove people wrong. Not only did she have success in college, she became the Razorbacks’ record holder for aces, second in career kills, a four-time All-SEC selection, and in her final season was 12th nationally in total kills.
When looking at the nation’s leaders killed by each group in 2023, her name stands out near the top. Gillen is surrounded by players who are at least 4 inches tall, many of whom are over 6 feet tall. Throughout her career at Arkansas, she has conclusively demonstrated the size of her work ethic and heart that can overcome a relative lack of size.
It made people who passed out of high school because of its size regret it.
“The opportunity to play DI, let alone the SEC, was something that started at 14 years old,” Guillen said in a video posted to the team’s social media account. “People liked to tell me that it was unrealistic for the type of player I am.” Before the Senior Day game against Florida. “And of course because of my height.”
She went on to thank those who counted her.
“To all the people who said, ‘You can’t, you won’t, you’re too small,’ ‘I can, I will, I do it, so what?’ thank you for forging the iron chip on my shoulder,” Gillen said.
Guillen took a swing at Kentucky in the regional semifinals to give the Razorbacks their most memorable moment in program history. Her kill gave Arkansas a 15-10 win in the fifth set to defeat the Wildcats, who won the SEC and swept the Razorbacks just over two weeks ago.
She has in many ways been the face of the team this season, a clear embodiment of the same chip that many of her teammates have played with as well. The group was regularly praised during its hot start to the season when it consistently soared to new heights in the national polls and set records for the program.
The Razorbacks didn’t bat an eye. Keep working.
For those who followed the team throughout their record-setting season, it felt as if no praise could top the level of disrespect the team felt from years past. They played that way from Game 1 to Game 34.
The end result was a loss to top-seeded Nebraska, which appears to be part of the volleyball dream team, in four sets during the NCAA Regional Finals.
For some college sports, the Elite Eight is lauded but quickly forgotten because of the overall look at the program. This team was different.
In that case, what the 2023 volleyball team accomplished should — and likely will — stick in the minds of many for a while.
The Razorbacks have been the national feel-good story of the season.
“In an era where we struggle to combine what is right and why we are in college athletics, these women reminded me why I continue to do what I love,” Hunter Yurachek, Arkansas director of athletics, wrote in a social media post. “They stuck together, worked hard together, fought hard times together, and lived their dream together.”
College sports have always been a place where dedication, hard work, and passion collide to create something truly special. In Arkansas, the volleyball team has embodied these values and shown that the essence of college sports is still very much alive. With their relentless work ethic, unwavering determination, and undeniable talent, the Arkansas volleyball team has proved that they are a force to be reckoned with. Their commitment to the sport and to each other serves as a reminder that the spirit of college sports is alive and thriving. As they continue to inspire and impress both on and off the court, Arkansas volleyball is a shining example of what makes college sports so impactful and meaningful.