Sept. 4, 2003
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Complete Cyclone Challenge Notes
The University of Kentucky volleyball team hits the road for the second consecutive weekend to participate in the Cyclone Challenge in Ames, Iowa, Sept. 5-6. Kentucky will face Western Illinois in a Friday night match before taking on Iowa Saturday morning and host Iowa State in an afternoon contest.
The Cats return to the court after notching a second-place finish at the Wake Forest Demon Deacon Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., last weekend. UK earned wins over Southern Methodist and Tennessee Tech, while seniors Sissy Canfield and Liz McCaslin earned All-Tournament team honors for their performances.
With just one week of the season complete, setter Leigh Marcum leads the team in hitting accuracy, connecting on 52.0 percent of her attacks. Junior Sarah Spinner is averaging 3.50 kills per game to lead the category, while newcomer Kirby Newhouse is averaging 4.00 digs per game early.
Host Iowa State went 3-0 and won the Heritage Classic last weekend in Ames, defeating SEC opponent Auburn, Creighton and McNeese State. Junior Brittany Dalager and senior Renae Pruess both earned All-Tournament team honors after outstanding individual showings.
Dalager recorded three consecutive double-doubles on the weekend and is averaging 4.27 kills per game and 4.45 digs per game. Pruess averages 3.64 kpg and 2.55 digs per game and recorded two 15-kill performances in the tournament.
Kentucky and Iowa State have never played each other in volleyball.
Iowa holds an identical record to Kentucky at 2-1 after participating in the Southern Illinois Saluki/Best Inns Invite last weekend. The Hawkeyes earned wins over Austin Peay and SIU and suffered a close 3-2 loss to Denver. Senior Jitka Stehnova and freshman Tiana Costanzo earned all-tourney honors.
Stehnova, the setter, had three double-doubles to open the season and averages 11.50 assists per game and 3.71 digs. Laura Simpson leads the hitting attack for Iowa, averaging 3.79 kills per game.
Kentucky holds an all-time record of 1-2 against Iowa, last facing the team exactly six years ago, a 3-0 loss at the Iowa Invitational. The squads first met on Oct. 12, 1979, a 2-0 Wildcat win.
Western Illinois is still looking for its first victory of the season after dropping three matches at the Eastern Illinois Pepsi/Super 8 Invitational over Labor Day weekend. WIU dropped decisions to host EIU, Drake and Evansville. The Westerwinds used a limited roster of eight players in each match, though only two were on the WIU roster a year ago.
Kali Landis, a junior college transfer, was named to the all-tournament team in the season’s opening weekend after totaling 56 kills and 50 digs.
The Wildcats are 0-1 all-time against the Westerwinds after dropping a 1-2 decision to the school on Sept. 22, 1978.
