April 8, 2014

LEXINGTON, Ky. – In its second competition of the spring season, the University of Kentucky volleyball team won five of six sets Saturday against three teams at the Indy Collegiate Invite in Indianapolis.

The Wildcats downed both Indiana and Illinois State 2-0, while they tied Illinois 1-1, a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 last season.

“I think the level of competition was good this weekend,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said. “It felt like we improved in scoring points from the previous weekend. I liked that we scored points in a variety of ways, from people killing the ball to blocking and serving. Also with the high level of competition, it exposed some weaknesses that we need to work on this week so that we become more efficient defensively.”

Freshman Anni Thomasson led UK with 28 kills on .339 hitting in the six sets. Junior Lauren O’Conner had 22 kills on a .245 hitting clip, while sophomore Shelby Workman had 17 kills. Freshman Emily Franklin, who did not see action in the 2013 season, hit .615 with eight kills.

Sophomore setter Morgan Bergren and junior setter Alyssa Gergins helped UK hit .286 as a team with 84 kills. The Wildcat defense limited the opposition to .167 hitting in the six sets on Saturday.

UK’s spring schedule continues this weekend, when the Wildcats return home to face Ohio State on Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET. The match will commence at the conclusion of the annual Coaches Clinic.

UK will conclude its spring slate on April 19 with a head-to-head matchup against Illinois in Champaign, Ill.

Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the Kentucky volleyball team and all 22 varsity sports. For additional info on the volleyball team like Kentucky Volleyball on Facebook or follow the team on Twitter at @KentuckyVB.