Sept. 23, 2001

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s volleyball team will host SEC rival LSU on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. After a disappointing 3-0 loss to Arkansas on Friday, the Wildcats look to get back on track and record their first conference win against the Tigers on Sunday.

UK managed to gain several leads in the match with the Razorbacks but couldn’t manage to grab a win, allowing the UA sweep. Sophomore Sissy Canfield was the bright spot for UK, tallying 12 kills and a .391 hitting percentage. Also posting a strong performance was junior transfer Anne Koester, who managed nine kills and a .368 percentage in the three-game match.

LSU enters Sunday’s matchup with a 4-4 record after grabbing its first conference win on Friday over Tennessee. The Tigers took the first two games from the Vols before Tennessee found an opening and took game three, 30-22.

The Tigers recharged quickly, taking the decisive game four, 30-16. Jennifer Hampton led the way for LSU, recording a double-double with 21 kills and 12 digs in the contest.Three other Tigers tallied double-figure kill totals in the match as LSU held Tennessee to a .178 hitting percentage. The Tigers posted a .291 percentage in the contest, including a .400 percentage in the last game.

LSU recorded back-to-back wins this week to snap a three-match losing streak. On Tuesday, the Tigers swept Louisiana-Lafayette in Baton Rouge. Of LSU’s four wins this season, three have been shutouts.

Kentucky holds the 18-15 advantage in the series, however, the Tigers have grabbed the last two wins. UK’s last victory came on Nov. 20, 1998, a 3-1 win at the SEC Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark.

The game also features the return of former UK head coach Fran Flory, who has been at the helm of the LSU program since 1998. Flory compiled a 78-80 record in her five years at UK, including a 29-4 mark in 1993, her first season in Lexington.