Aug. 7, 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A pair of Kentucky volleyball players have been selected as preseason selections to the All-Southeastern Conference team, while Craig Skinner’s unit was tabbed to finish second in the SEC East it was announced by the league office.
Senior Stephanie Klefot and junior Whitney Billings represented the Wildcats on the preseason All-SEC ballot. The preseason All-SEC team consists of a minimum of nine players, which are voted on by the league’s coaches. Ties are not broken. Six of the nine players were named All-conference in 2011 including UK’s duo.
Klefot is the reigning two-time SEC Libero of the Year and was a second-team All-America selection during her junior campaign. She set a UK record with more than 600 digs in leading the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Billings was a first-team All-SEC selection and an AVCA All-America honorable mention honoree as a sophomore. She averaged 2.44 kills and 2.58 digs while leading the squad with six double-double efforts in 2011 as a right-side attacker.
SEC Preseason Poll
The Wildcats were selected to finish second in the SEC Eastern Division as voted on by the league coaches.
Points were compiled on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 basis for the Western Division and 1-2-3-4-5-6 for the Eastern Division. Each coach is not allowed to vote for his or her own team and each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.
UK received 30 points for a second-place finish in the East, ahead of Florida (35), and behind defending league champion Tennessee. LSU was slotted to win the West.
Blue/White Scrimmage Announced
Kentucky’s annual Blue/White scrimmage will be held on Sunday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. Admission is free.
Fans will have a meet-and-greet opportunity with the team following the game, with the team signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.
Wildcats Report for Preseason Training
All 14 Wildcats have officially reported to preseason camp which begins today. UK will meet with team officials, take conditioning tests and have a team meeting before practice opens tomorrow.
The Wildcats are coming off a 28-6 season in 2011 and return three All-Americans, six starters and nine players from last year’s squad.
UK opens the 2012 season with the Kentucky Classic tournament. Kentucky will take on North Carolina on the opening night of competition Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. ET.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the UK volleyball team and all of Kentucky’s 22 teams.
