Oct. 25, 2001
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Ole Miss-Mississippi State Notes
The University of Kentucky volleyball team will take to the road for the second consecutive weekend as it travels south to take on Ole Miss on Friday before a matinee match with Mississippi State on Sunday in Southeastern Conference action.
The Cats (10-9, 3-5 SEC) narrowly missed knocking off 20th-ranked Notre Dame on Tuesday in a five-game thriller. Notre Dame posted a .321 hitting percentage in the 17-15 deciding game to earn the match win.
Several Wildcats had career nights against the Irish, as sophomore Kristi Kelley recorded a personal-best 14 digs to combine with her 59 assists for her first double-double. Junior Anne Koester had a career-high 13 digs while adding 16 kills for her first D-D of the season. Freshman Sarah Spinner had her eighth double-double of the year, while senior April Barnhorst proved her leadership again with a season-high 19 kills.
Ole Miss has struggled in conference play this season, earning only one win en route to a 1-8 SEC record. The Rebels stand at 5-14 on the season. Leading the way for UM is senior middle blocker Abby Hollander, who has connected on 32.3 percent of her shots this season and averages 1.7 kills per game for the Rebels.
Senior Jaime Burns also has been a force at outside hitter, averaging 3.6 kills per game and 3.3 digs per game. Burns is currently eighth in the league in kills per game, while she stands at second in digs per contest. She is seventh in digs during conference matches as well.
This marks the 29th meeting between the Wildcats and Rebels, with UK holding the 22-6 advantage. The last meeting took place on Sept. 24, 2000, in Lexington, a 3-2 UK win. Ole Miss’ last win in the series came on Sept. 26, 1997, a 3-2 win in Lexington.
Mississippi State is 6-12 on the season and also holds a 1-8 conference record with its only league win coming against Auburn. The Bulldogs are riding a seven-match losing streak after dropping both of its road matches last weekend at LSU and Arkansas.
Sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Rousey is the only hitter over the .200 mark this season with her .235 percentage. She averages 2.3 kills per game and is the only Bulldog to play in every game this season.
Kentucky will meet Ole Miss for the 27th time in school history on Sunday. The Rebels have only earned one win in the series, a 3-2 victory in Starkville on Oct. 16, 1994.
“This weekend is very important for us as far as the postseason is concerned,” Coach Jona Braden said. “We’re looking to get down to Mississippi and grab some solid SEC wins in order to put us in good position for the conference tournament.”
