Sept. 25, 2003
Notes in PDF Format
The University of Kentucky volleyball team will open its 23rd season of Southeastern Conference play on Friday, Sept. 26 at Arkansas. The road swing continues to LSU on Sunday, Sept. 28. The Razorbacks earned a 3-1 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge to open league play.
UK is coming off a disappointing 1-2 performance at the Marriott Lobo Volleyball Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M., last weekend. The Wildcats earned a 3-0 win over New Mexico, but lost both matches on Saturday, first to Sacramento State and then Ohio.
Sissy Canfield continues to be the guiding force for the Cats, averaging 3.07 kills per game while hitting .315, the team’s highest percentage. She also averages a team leading 1.07 blocks per game and earned all-tournament team honors last weekend.
Kentucky is 15-7 all-time in SEC openers, but hasn’t won its first conference game since 2000, a 3-1 victory over Mississippi State. Jona Braden is 2-3 in league openers in her sixth season at UK.
Arkansas earned its first SEC win of the year against LSU on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge. The 8-4 Hogs took a 3-1 victory home after Sara Kincaid went for 25 kills and eight blocks with .429 hitting. Three Razorbacks had double-figure digs in the win as well.
Kincaid leads the team on the season, averaging 4.28 kpg and a .371 hitting percentage. She also puts in 1.28 bpg. Teammate Paula Castro leads the Hogs in digging with 2.52 per game.
Chris Poole is in his 10th season at Arkansas and holds a 231-98 record while in Fayetteville. Last year the Razorbacks finished second in the conference with a 27-6 overall record.
Kentucky is 4-8 all-time against UA, but hasn’t won a match against the team since 1996.Louisiana State enters the weekend with a 5-8 record, but has won two of its last three matches. The Tigers lost their home SEC opener to Arkansas on Wednesday, 3-1. Regan Hood, however, was outstanding for the home team with 27 kills on .327 hitting.
Hood averages 4.85 kills per game for the Bayou Bengals and is hitting .257 on the season. Lauren Leaumont is the team’s top digger with a 2.55 dpg average.
Former UK head coach Fran Flory is in her sixth season leading the Tigers and holds an 85-78 record in Baton Rouge. Flory coached at UK from 1993-97 and finished with a 78-80 record.Kentucky holds a 21-15 series lead and has won 11 of the last 13 matches with LSU.
