No. 5 Kentucky Hosts Arkansas Friday and Saturday in Primetime
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 5 Kentucky Volleyball team will play host to the Arkansas Razorbacks in primetime this weekend inside Memorial Coliseum for a two-match Southeastern Conference series in the Bluegrass.
Friday night’s match begins at 9 p.m. ET and will be shown live on the SEC Network, ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app with Paul Sunderland and former Florida setter Missy Whittemore on the call. Friday night is #UKThinksPink night with promotions geared towards fighting breast cancer. The first 150 fans in the doors will receive a UKVB pink beanie, while all fans will receive a free UKVB pink pom-pom to use during the match and a sign to say who they wear pink for that can be featured in a special presentation inbetween sets one and two.
Kentucky HealthCare faculty, staff and employees get free admission for themselves and a guest with their UKID when they show it at any entrance on match day.
Saturday night’s match will begin at 7 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the ESPN app with Dick Gabriel and Kathy DeBoer on the call. Saturday’s match will feature Halloween-themed activities including a costume contest and candy for BBN fans. The winners of the costume contest will receive UK Volleyball prizes.
Tickets for both matches are available at UKathletics.com/tickets for purchase as well as group fare tickets. Parking is free in all areas surrounding Memorial Coliseum on campus, with lots going off of patrol after the school day concludes. Tickets are mobile for the 2021 UKVB season and fans are encouraged to download the tickets to their phones before entering to make the entry into the arena as swift as possible for all involved.
Kentucky is 13-3 on the season and the final remaining undefeated team in the SEC with a 6-0 league record. The Wildcats have won a season-high seven matches in a row including back-to-back wins at LSU last weekend. Kentucky won six of seven sets played on the Bayou with sophomore Madi Skinner launching 16+ kills in both matches. Junior middle blocker Azhani Tealer was named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Week for a third time this season and freshman setter Emma Grome was named the SEC Freshman of the Week by the league office for her sparkling performance running the UK offense to an over .270 hitting percentage on the road.
Arkansas is 14-4 on the year with an RPI of 31 and 5-2 in the SEC, sitting in a tie with the Florida Gators and Mississippi State for third place in the conference standings. Led by fifth-year head coach Jason Watson and the offensive firepower of Killian Gillen (4.28 kills/set), the Razorbacks are sure to present one of UK’s stiffest tests of the season this weekend in Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky leads the all-time series with Kentucky 29-15, including having won the last 36 sets in a row over the Razorbacks and 12 matches in a row dating back to 2012.
Follow along with the Wildcats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
