Oct. 29, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After securing its third consecutive 20 win season the 12th ranked Kentucky volleyball team will travel to Arkansas for an 8 p.m. ET matchup with the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Friday.
For the third consecutive season the UK (20-2, 10-1) volleyball team has eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time since matching the feat during the 1991-93 seasons. Kentucky needed five sets to overcome No. 20 LSU in a thrilling comeback effort to accomplish the achievement on Saturday. Junior Sarah Mendoza had 21 kills and Blaire Hiler added 13 timely hammers in the win. It is the second consecutive season that UK has taken both meetings from the Tigers.
Furthermore, Kentucky has attained a winning season in all of head coach Craig Skinner’s five seasons at the helm. UK has notched 17 or more victories under the direction of Skinner for the first time since UK had five straight winning seasons from 1989-93.
Senior Sarah Rumely is looking for her 160th career ace to move into sole possession of first place in the UK record books in that category. Rumely had an ace last week against Tennessee to tie Krista Robinson with 159 in their careers.
A balanced offensive attack lifted No. 17 Kentucky to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-21) sweep of Arkansas in late September in the first meeting between the two schools. It was the third consecutive time that the Kentucky Wildcats did not drop a set in a conference victory as they rolled to the win in front of 1,606 fans at Memorial Coliseum. UK had a strong offensive attack posting 49 kills on the night behind junior Lauren Rapp’s match-high 12 kills. Mendoza pitched in with 10 kills with sophomore Gretchen Giesler contributing nine on the day.
Arkansas holds an 11-12 overall record and a 5-7 clip in conference action. The Razorbacks are led by freshman Jasmine Norton’s 3.85 kills per set and 58 blocks on the year. Norton has been named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week three times this season. The Razorbacks hold an all-time series 13-12 record over the Blue and White, but Kentucky has won the last five meetings.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date news, highlights and features from the Kentucky volleyball team.
