Oct. 17, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Auburn-Alabama Notes
The University of Kentucky volleyball team takes to the road on Friday, Oct. 18, to face Auburn at 8 p.m. ET in Auburn, Ala. UK continues the road trip with a rematch at Alabama on Sunday, Oct. 20, in Tuscaloosa at 2:30 p.m. ET. Kentucky is coming off a 3-0 loss to in-state rival Louisville on Tuesday which saw the Wildcats hit just .088 to U of L’s .456.
Earlier this season, UK went 1-1 against the two squads, falling 3-1 to Alabama before cruising to a 3-0 win over the Tigers in Lexington. With the Southeastern Conference Tournament nearing, each SEC match becomes more important as only the top-eight teams in the league qualify. UK is tied with Ole Miss and Mississippi State for eighth place right now and will face both teams in Lexington in two weeks. Auburn is last in the league with an 0-6 record, but is only one win behind the eighth-place teams. Alabama is tied for fourth in the conference with Georgia.
The Tigers continue to struggle through their first season under new head coach Laura Farina. Auburn is 1-17 and Farina is still searching for her first SEC win. The Tigers haven’t recorded a victory since Sept. 7, a 3-1 win over Marist. Auburn hasn’t won a single game since its 3-1 loss to UNC-Greensboro on Sept. 14.
AU returns only six players from a 2001 squad that finished 1-26. Brittney Diaz leads the Tiger team in kills per game, averaging 2.48, while senior Grace Boyd leads the team in accuracy, hitting .245 this year.
Alabama has had an up and down season, but won four of its first five conference matches, including the win over UK. Last weekend in Tuscaloosa, the Tide swept LSU before falling 3-1 to Arkansas.
Leading the UA charge is Erin Heffner, who averages a team-leading 4.61 kills per game and .283 hitting percentage. Erin Price is close behind, averaging 3.04 kills per game. In SEC play, Heffner posts an amazing 5.76 kills per game while hitting .364. Julie Farley leads the UA blockers with 1.50 per game.
