Kentucky to Host Athletes Unlimited on March 30 in Lexington
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Volleyball team will host its final match inside the historic Memorial Coliseum on March 30 against Athletes Unlimited.
Tickets are free to everyone with first-come, first-served seating as the Wildcats take on some of the best players from around the world. No ticket of any type is required for entry. Concession stands will be operational for the match.
The match begins at 7 p.m. ET, and for those that can’t attend in person, it will be shown live on SEC Network+, ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Former Kentucky standouts Leah Edmond and Kaz Brown will be on the other side of the net from the Wildcats in the match, as both are participating in the Athletes Unlimited league this season. The match in Lexington is part of a collegiate exhibition tour around the country for the professionals with other colleges hosting exhibitions throughout the spring.
Shorter season. Higher stakes. More opportunity. Five weeks of nonstop action, where the teams change weekly and every play is an opportunity to win. In partnership with USA Volleyball, Athletes Unlimited is proud to launch the only professional women’s indoor volleyball league in the U.S.
Off the field, the athletes recruit fellow pros, create league rules, and retain equity in the league. On the field, the top four players become new captains each week and draft their teams from scratch for each week’s games.
Win Points
Win points are all about the team performance. In all Athletes Unlimited Volleyball matches, teams will always play three sets. Win Points accumulate during both individual sets and overall match wins. Each set is worth +40 points and overall matches are worth +60 points.
To win a set, a team must tally 25 points and win by two. If a team reaches 25 points and the opposing team has 24 points, the set will continue until one team has a two-point lead
The total score determines the overall match winner, which means a team may lose two sets, but win the overall match.
For example, the Gold Team loses the first two sets 25-23 and 25-23 to the Blue Team, but wins the last set, 25-17. The Gold Team would win the overall match points because they had the larger overall score, 71-67.
Overtime
If the total score is tied after three sets, teams will play a “Golden Set,” where a team must score five points and win by two to take the match. Individual stat points do not accumulate during a Golden Set. A Golden Set is capped at 10 points for an individual team.
MVP Points
After each match, players and members of The Unlimited Club will vote for three players who they feel had standout performances.
These points will be added to the player’s individual total. Points will be awarded as follows:
- MVP 1: +60 points
- MVP 2: +40 points
- MVP 3: +20 points
Individual Stats
The final component of points is individual stats. Players will earn points based on their offensive and defensive performance.
The breakdown for individual points is as follows:
Serving: Ace + 12, Error -8
A serve is the first contact that starts every rally. Servers receive points for an ace. An ace (+12) is a serve which lands in the opponent’s court without being touched or is unable to be kept in play by the receiving team.
A service error (-8) is charged if: The serve hits or does not go over the net; The serve goes out-of-bounds; or The server is called for a foot. A foot violation is when the server touches the court outside the service zone.
Attack: Kill + 8, Error -12
An attack is any offensive action that sends the ball over the net to the opposing team that attempts to terminate the play. A kill (+8) is awarded when an attack is unable to be returned or uncontrolled by the opponent, leading to a point scored.
An attack error (-12) occurs when: the ball is hit out of bounds; the ball is hit into the net; a net or center line violation; or illegal contact during an attack attempt.
Set: Assist + 1, Error -12
An assist occurs when a player passes or sets the ball to a teammate who attacked the ball for a kill. An error (-12) occurs when a player commits a ball-handling error, which includes a double hit, which is when a player touches the ball twice or both hands touch the ball individually, and a lifted ball, which is prolonged contact with the ball.
Dig: Dig + 5, No Errors
A dig (+5) is the first contact made after a ball is sent over to the defensive team on an attack. This is a defensive movement made to prevent the ball from hitting the ground.
Pass: Good pass + 2, Error -12
A pass (+2) is the first contact after a serve. An error (-12) occurs when the receiving player is unable to make contact to return the ball or passes the ball out of bounds.
A pass that leads to a kill is known as an assist (+1).
Block: Stuff + 12, No Errors
A stuff block (+12) occurs when a defensive player at the net blocks an attack and the rally terminates with the ball on the attacker’s side of the court, resulting in a point for the blocker’s team.
How They Draft
After the last match of every week, the top four-point scorers will be named team captains. Each captain will be assigned to a team color based on their standing.
- No. 1: Gold
- No. 2: Orange
- No. 3: Blue
- No. 4: Purple
Team captains can consult with anyone they want prior to the opening of the draft, including any Athletes Unlimited staff, former coaches, and teammates.
Each week during the draft every captain will be allowed up to two minutes per pick. Once a player is selected their captain may consult them for further decisions. Once all 44 players have been selected to a team, it will be time to prepare for the upcoming slate of matches and get ready to play.
2023 Exhibition Tour
- March 25: Ohio State University — 6:30 p.m. ET on BTN+
- March 30: University of Kentucky — 7 p.m. ET on SEC+
- March 31: University of Louisville — 6 p.m. ET (Broadcast not available)
- April 4: University of Minnesota — 8 p.m. ET on BTN+
- April 5: University of Wisconsin — 8 p.m. ET on BTN+
- April 8: Windy City Qualifier (Chicago)
- April 12: University of Texas — 8 p.m. ET on Longhorn Network
- April 13: Baylor University — 8 p.m. ET (Broadcast not available)
- April 15: Northeast Qualifier (Philadelphia)
- April 19: Howard University — 7 p.m. ET on HUBison.com
- April 21: Penn State University — 7 p.m. ET on BTN+
For the latest on UK Volleyball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @KentuckyVB.
