Sept. 13, 2003
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University Of Kentucky’s volleyball seven-match win streak came to an end in the championship game of the Kentucky Conference Challenge against Virginia with a 3-1 loss Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum.
Freshman Melissa Popp and senior Liz McCaslin were voted to the All-Tournament team where they are joined by Morgan Jones (Syracuse), Tricia Baseman (Wright State), Whitney Ashcraft (Virginia), Alexis Geocaris (Virginia) and tournament MVP Paige Davis (Virginia).McCaslin led UK with 18 kills and 20 digs, while Popp was a force at outside with 14 putdowns and 11 digs. Senior Sissy Canfield and junior Sarah Spinner also got on the board with double-figure kills.
The Wildcats (7-2) were victorious in game one with a score of 30-25. Kentucky led in the start but due to ball control errors, Virginia capitalized and evened the score. Spinner’s tenacious game play sparked Kentucky’s five-point run to put UK up 19-14. Leigh Marcum’s 15 assists and Spinner’s seven kills helped seal the game victory for the Cats.
In the second game against the Cavaliers, UK got off to a slow start. With nine Wildcat errors in the match, Virginia was able to pull away with a 30-17 victory. The Cavaliers out hit Kentucky in game two with a hitting percentage of .364. McCaslin contributed 10 digs in the stanza.
UVA defeated Kentucky in game three with a 30-23 decision to take a 2-1 lead in the match. The Cavaliers led the Cats early until UK knotted the game at 8-8. A kill by Popp put Kentucky on top. Multiple errors again would haunt UK in game three. McCaslin kept Kentucky in the game with three back-to-back plays to bring the Cats within five at 25-20, but the Cavaliers were able to secure the win.
After falling behind 9-4 to begin the final game, Kentucky rallied to cut the lead to one at 12-11. The Cavaliers again stretched the margin out to six at 21-15 before a kill by Canfield again cropped the lead to one at 26-25. The Cats looked poised to pull off the comeback, but an ace by UVA and a kill by Shannon Boyle would seal the tournament title for Virginia.
Kentucky rode a seven game win streak into the match, the longest since an eight-game tare late in the 1993 season. The streak, which began with the second match of the season, was the longest run under head coach Jona Braden.
The Wildcats return to action Friday, Sept. 19 at the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., versus New Mexico at 9:30 p.m. ET.
