Sept. 10, 2001

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky volleyball team will plays first mid-week road game on Tuesday, Sept. 11, when the Wildcats battle host Louisville. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Arena.

The Wildcats (4-3, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) were 2-1 last weekend at the Radisson Invitational at Western Michigan. Kentucky fell to host WMU in its opening match, but picked up two strong wins on Saturday over James Madison (3-1) and Valparaiso (3-0). The Cats comprised half of the All-Tournament team as senior April Barnhorst, junior Kristen Batt and sophomore Sissy Canfield each earned the honor.

The Cardinals (4-1, 0-0 Conference USA) are coming off a 1-1 showing at the Arizona Classic in Tucson, Ariz., last weekend. U of L notched a big 3-0 win over No. 19 Utah before falling to No. 5 Arizona, 3-0. Lesley Drury leads the Cards this season, averaging a .308 hitting percentage and 2.69 kills per game. Teammate Sonja Percan is the team kills leader with 75.

The teams have met a total of 42 times, with UK holding the 26-16 advantage. The Cardinals, however, took both meetings in 2000, a 3-0 win in Lexington and a 3-0 decision in Louisville and have won the past three contests. The Cats last win came on Sept. 21, 1999, a 3-2 victory in Lexington.

“We’re excited to face a tough Louisville team,” Coach Jona Braden said. “The rivalry with Louisville is strong, and we always look to bring our best game against the Cardinals.”

The Cats return home this weekend, Sept. 14-15, for the Kentucky Conference Challenge. The round-robin style tournament features San Jose State, Middle Tennessee State and Virginia. Matches begin at 5 p.m. Friday and run through 7 p.m. Saturday.