A home-and-home series with each Southeastern Conference opponent and the annual Kentucky Classic highlight the 2006 Kentucky Volleyball schedule.

The Wildcats, who are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 1993 season, will face seven teams that participated in the 2005 tourney. In a new format, the Cats will face each SEC school twice, in lieu of playing a conference tournament. The conference?s regular-season champion will earn the league?s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky begins its slate on Aug. 29 when it hosts 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Western Kentucky in Memorial Coliseum. The Cats also will face in-state foe Morehead State and border-rival Cincinnati in non-conference action in the upcoming season.

The Wildcats are slated to participate in two tournaments prior to the start of conference play ? Syracuse?s Big Orange Tournament and the Kentucky Classic. UK will face New Hampshire, NCAA participant Siena and host Syracuse in the Big Orange Classic, while facing Georgia Tech, Toledo and Villanova in the Kentucky Classic, Sept. 8-9.

The Cats begin SEC play by hosting Arkansas (Sept. 15) and LSU (Sept. 17), both of whom earned advanced to the NCAA Regionals last year, in Memorial Coliseum. Other highlights of Kentucky?s SEC schedule include national powers Florida and Tennessee for a pair of matches.

Kentucky finished the 2005 season with a 17-12 record and a 10-6 mark in league action, both UK?s best marks since 1992.