Weiskircher records triple-double to help UK end losing streak
Columbus, OH – Middle blocker Megan Weiskircher continued her all-aroundspectacular play for the University of Kentucky volleyball team with herfirst career triple-double and the Wildcats defeated the Toledo Rockets inthe consolation match of the Buckeye Invitational, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon.
In the match at St. John Arena on the campus of The Ohio State University,Weiskircher posted the incredible line of 16 kills, 16 digs and 13 blocksto lead an improving UK attack that featured four hitters who reacheddouble-figures in kills. The team hit at a season-high .245 percentage forthe match.
Outside hitter Liz McCaslin established a career-high when with sevenkills. Fellow sophomore Kristen Batt set a career-high with five serviceaces while also recording a season-high in kills for the second consecutiveday. Batt delivered 18 kills against UT, day after knocking down 16 in a3-0 loss to Illinois State.
Toledo (2-3) received its match-up with Kentucky (2-4) after losing tohost Ohio State on Saturday. Ohio State and Illinois State were meeting forthe tournament title directly following UK’s victory over UT.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 match lead and broke a seven-game losingstreak spanning three matches when they defeated the Rockets in game one,15-11. The Cats showed continued improvement in their offense, connectingfor a .225 hitting percentage with 16 kills and seven errors on 40 attacks.Middle blocker April Barnhorst led the way for UK with a game-high fourkills and no errors. Batt also had four kills in the game. Toledo had 10hitting errors and a .051 hitting percentage in the game, helping Kentuckyto overcome a 10-8 UT lead as the Cats took seven of the last eight pointsfor the game.
In game two, Toledo evened the match with an 18-16 win coming on its thirdgame point situation. UK staved off five game points while trailing 14-11before Whitney Sample served the Wildcats to four consecutive scores and agame point of their own. But the Rockets thwarted the Cats on the nextattempt and battled back for the victory. UT was led by Lindsey Kretzmannwho had five kills in the game on her way to a match-high 23. UK remainswinless in game two this season, standing now at 0-6.
UK’s blocking was particularly tough in game two as the Cats put the roofup over seven UT attacks, totaling 14 block assists in the game.Weiskircher increased her match total to seven with five block assists inthe game.
Freshman Brooke Dodson made her first appearance of the match at thebeginning of game three and helped the Wildcats out to a 15-12 win in thegame with five kills. The game was one of streaks as UK jumped out to a 5-2lead, only to have Toledo tie things at 5-5. The teams then traded pointsbefore the Cats went on a six point run to take a 12-6 lead. With BeckyRodomski and Jessica Burk each totaling six kills each in the game, UT wenton another equalizing spurt to tie the match at 12-12. UK took its turnwith the next run of the game and made it the last, scoring three straightpoints to take the 2-1 lead in the match. finished the match with 22 killsBoth Weiskircher and Batt established double-doubles for the match withtheir play in game three. Batt had a season-high 13 digs to go with her 18kills.
Toledo came out determined in game four to extend the marathon match into adeciding fifth game as, for the first time in the match, the Rocketsout-hit the Cats (.313 to .171) and won the game, 15-10. The Wildcatsrecovered from a 2-0 hole to take a 3-2 lead, but UT scored the next sixpoints for a 9-3 advantage. The UK outside hitters responded to the team’sdeficit as Dodson and Batt each pounded out four kills in the game to rallythe Cats to a 10-10 tie. But Toledo weathered UK’s pressure with itsblanket coverage of the defensive court and took the final five points ofthe game.
With team statistics standing near even, the play in game five was just assquarely contested as UT and UK traded point for point in the rally scoredfinale. Toledo held two point leads of 10-8 and 12-10, but the game wasseparated by just one point or tied the rest of the time. The Rockets heldmatch-points at 14-13 and 16-15, but the Cats remained tough with theirdefense and blocking. The difference in the game, and thus the match, wasUK’s .405 hitting percentage with just one error in game five while UT hitjust .207 and had six errors.
Barnhorst finished the match with 15 kills while Dodson managed 10 despiteplaying in just the last three games of the match. Toledo also had fourplayers with double-figure kill totals as Radomski’s 22 kills fell one shyof Kretzmann for the team lead.
