Sept. 5, 2002
The University of Kentucky volleyball team will continue the 2002 season on Friday, Sept. 6, when the Wildcats take on host North Carolina State in the opening evening of the Outback Steakhouse Wolfpack Classic in Raleigh, N.C. The match gets underway at 7 p.m ET.
UK faces N.C. State for the 11th time in school history with the Cats holding a 7-3 advantage in the series. The teams last met in Raleigh on Oct. 1, 2000, a 3-2 Wolfpack win. The Cats have previously met once in Lexington in 1989 and eight times at neutral sites.
NCSU opened the 2002 season last weekend at the Florida Atlantic Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla., going winless in four matches. The Wolfpack was swept by Minnesota, Florida Atlantic and Wright State before losing a close 3-2 decision to Youngstown State. NC State is hitting just .143 on the season and are 0-5 after a 3-1 loss to Appalachian State on Tuesday.
On Saturday, UK will continue play in the tournament, facing Charlotte at 10 a.m. and Wichita State at 4:30 p.m. Charlotte opened the season last weekend at home with the Spring Hill Suites Invitational. The 49ers came away with a 2-1 record after earning wins over East Tennessee State (3-1) and Southern Methodist (3-0). Charlotte’s lone loss came at the hands of Northwestern, 3-0. Leading the way were junior Jessica Kelly, who hit .410 on the weekend with 31 kills, and freshman Lisa Newell, who added 25 kills and 13 blocks in four matches. The Wildcats have never met the Charlotte 49ers on the volleyball court in their 25-year history.
The Cats will meet Wichita State for the first time as well. The Shockers opened play hosting the Green Mill Restaurant Classic in Wichita, Kan., last weekend. WSU took runner-up honors in the tournament after recording a 3-1 record with wins over Georgia, Stephen F. Austin and New Mexico. Its only loss came to Miami (Fla.), a 3-0 decision.Wichita State got one more tune-up before heading to Raleigh after falling to Kansas State on Tuesday, 3-0.
The Wildcats are coming off a 1-2 opening weekend performance at the Hofstra Asics Invitational over Labor Day weekend. UK earned its first win of the season over Fairfield after counting losses to Hofstra and Texas Tech. Junior Sissy Canfield earned All-Tournament team honors after hitting .407 on the weekend, including a 15-kill performance in the win over the Stags.
-UK-
