Nov. 4, 2001
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Kentucky volleyball team fell short in its attempt to tie its season series with the Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday, Nov. 4, in Knoxville, Tenn. The Cats looked strong in the first two games, but fell short in the match, 30-28, 30-28, 30-19. Kentucky (12-11, 5-7 SEC) now falls to fourth in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division, while Tennessee (15-8, 7-5 SEC) takes sole possession of third place in the East.
Leading the UK attack was senior April Barnhorst, who tallied 14 kills in the losing effort. Freshman Sarah Spinner recorded 12 digs in the contest but was held to a .100 hitting percentage with seven kills and five errors. Neither team took care of the ball very well, as UT hit .191, while UK hit just .114 on the afternoon.
The teams kept things tight to start the first game, while strong play by Barnhorst helped UK build a three-point lead. UT battled back, stringing together a 4-0 run to force a Kentucky timeout with the Vols leading, 18-13. A series of Wildcat miscues allowed UT to extend its lead to five, before UK got back in the mix at 24-22, forcing the Volunteers to talk it over.
Tennessee errors allowed the Cats to tie the score at 24 and forced another Vol timeout. Kristen Batt would be the Cats’ weapon down the stretch, as she dumped in four important kills. UT however managed to grab the win30-28, after scoring three straight points.
Kentucky grabbed the early 8-4 lead in game two, but UT used a 4-0 run to tie things at eight. The Wildcats stayed strong, extending its lead to eight and forcing a UT timeout at 23-15. The Vols came back and put down two straight kills to cut the UK lead to six. Tennessee worked hard to get back in the game and tied the game at 27. A service error gave UK the lead again, but the Vols would take the next three points and the game, 30-28, putting UK down 2-0 entering the break.
The Cats looked solid again to start the third game, busting out to 5-2 lead before the Vols managed to tie things at five. UT took control from there, building to a nine-point lead at 24-15. The Cats managed to put four more points on the board before a Janelle Hester kill sealed the match with the 30-19 win.
The Wildcats wrap up regular-season SEC play next weekend when it plays host to Georgia on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., before closing out its home schedule on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. against ninth-ranked Florida. The match is Senior Day for the Cats, as UK pays tribute to April Barnhorst, Whitney Sample and manager Chris Boots in a pre-match ceremony.
Game Score
Game One – UT 30, UK 28
Game Two – UT 30, UK 28
Game Three – UT 30, UK 19
