Nov. 3, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following an impressive victory over Ole Miss on Friday, the Kentucky volleyball team will remain home for a date with South Carolina on Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. It will mark the only competition of the season between the two squads. Dick Gabriel and Mandy Robbe will have the call provided by UKathletics.com’s live audio stream.
Kentucky (16-8, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) earned a 3-1 win over the visiting Rebels on Friday behind another outstanding offensive effort from senior Ashley Frazier. The Oregon, Ohio, native matched a career high with 20 kills on a .356 hitting clip to lead four Wildcat attackers in double-figures for the third consecutive match. Frazier has posted 15 or more kills in each of UK’s last three victories.
With the win UK has equaled a season-long winning streak of four matches. Sunday’s match will have the Wildcats aiming for a season-first five-match streak, as well as earning an eighth-consecutive season with 17 or more victories.
Junior Whitney Billings has also been a spark for the Blue and White during its most recent successful streak. Billings has notched a double-double effort in all four victories including logging 10 kills and 11 digs in Friday’s win. Billings has posted a career-high 13 double-doubles on the year. Nine of those have come against SEC foes.
South Carolina enters the matchup with the Wildcats owning a 15-11 overall record and a 3-11 mark in league competition. The Gamecocks dropped a 3-0 decision at Missouri on Friday night in its last competition.
UK has taken the last two meetings between the two teams and has won nine of the last 10 matchups.
Outside hitter Juliette Thevenin heads the USC offensive attack with 330 kills on the season (4.12 k/set), hitting at a .282 clip. Fellow outside hitter Bethanie Thomas has pounded out 188 kills on the season for an average of 2.35 kills per frame.
Gamecock libero Paige Wheeler has been the anchor defensively with 326 digs on the year. Wheeler is averaging 4.02 digs per set to lead the defensive effort.
Follow along all year at Kentucky’s official homepage for the most up-to-date information and news regarding the UK volleyball team and all of UK’s 22 varsity sports.
