Oct. 7, 2003
Game Notes in PDF Format
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky volleyball team will face its first Eastern Division opponent of the 2003 Southeastern Conference schedule when UK travels to Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 8 to face the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Kentucky earned its first two SEC wins last weekend at home over Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Both matches were won by a 3-1 score and Kentucky had several outstanding performances on the weekend. Freshman Melissa Popp totaled 42 kills in the two matches and earned her sixth double-double of the season with 11 digs to go with 21 kills on Friday.
Sissy Canfield was UK’s top hitter for the weekend, averaging a .508 percentage with 34 kills and four blocks. Julie Davis was a defensive stopper on the front line, collecting 14 blocks and eight kills.
South Carolina enters the week third in the SEC standings with a 3-1 league record. The Gamecocks’ have won all three conference matches with 3-0 sweeps. The team’s only SEC loss came by way of a 3-0 Arkansas defeat. Overall, the Gamecocks boast a 9-7 record and have faced five teams ranked in this week’s AVCA Top 25.
Leading South Carolina is Lynae Vanden Hull, a redshirt freshman from Papillion, Neb. Vanden Hull averages 2.95 kills per game and 1.90 digs per game. Sophomore Lauren Ford is the team’s leading blocker with 1.11 per game, while Iris Santos and Nicole Miller are the team’s top diggers with 2.86 and 2.83 per game, respectively.
Kim Christopher is in her 11th season as head coach at South Carolina, holding an overall record of 211-107 in Columbia.
South Carolina leads the series with Kentucky, 14-13. The Gamecocks have won the last six meetings, dating back to the 2000 season. UK’s last win came on Nov. 19, 1999, a 3-0 victory in the SEC Tournament.The Gamecocks earned two wins over the Wildcats in 2002, including a 3-0 victory in Columbia on Sept. 20 and a 3-0 win in Lexington on Oct. 9.
