Three Wildcats tally double-figure kills, but UK comes up short.
The University of Kentucky volleyball team dropped the first of its final two Southeastern Conference matches, 3-2, to Georgia in Memorial Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 14. Kentucky opened by taking the first two games, but allowed Georgia to rebound after the halftime break and win the match with a 15-11 fifth game showing.
Three Wildcats tallied double-figure kills and Melissa Popp, Sissy Canfield and Sarah Spinner each had 14 kills in the match. Popp also had a double-double with 10 digs, but the Cats were outblocked 19.5 to 5.0.
Kentucky would lead Georgia 3-0 in the start of the first game, but the Bulldogs would soon even the score with three consecutive plays. A Spinner block would spark a 6-0 run for the Cats. At 14-8 Danielle Wallace had back-to-back kills to extend the lead for the Cats. Georgia would pull within three at 22-19, but errors would keep UGA at bay. Kentucky would go on to win game one on .111 hitting, 30-25.
The Cats would go to battle in game two. The two teams would go point-for-point until Marcum put down a block to give UK a two-point advantage at 11-9. At 14-12, McCaslin kill would ignite the Wildcats to score nine unanswered points, forcing the Dogs to take a timeout. Stellar offense allowed Kentucky to pull away with a 13-point win, 30-17.
The beginning of the third stanza would belong to UGA 6-1. Liz McCaslin?s two kills would chip away at the Bulldogs lead at 4-15. Georgia?s defense was unmatched for the majority of the game however. A kill by Sarah Spinner would pull UK within single digits at 15-24, but ball errors would keep the Cats from winning game three. Kentucky would fall to UGA, 30-18.
In the fourth game, Kentucky would get its fight back. The two teams would go toe-to-toe battling for a breakaway point. With the score tied at 12, a block by Marcum would send UK on a four-point run. Canfield would show up big in the middle of game four with two big plays keeping the Cats alive, 23-20. Defensive Kentucky errors would allow Bulldogs to get back in the game 26-24 forcing a UK timeout. Georgia would go on to win the game, 30-26, forcing a tie-breaking fifth game.
In the final game, the Cats again wage war on UGA. The two teams would set the stage for another point-for-point game early. Georgia then changed the agenda, scoring four consecutive points, taking the lead at 9-5. Kentucky would not give up the fight. A Spinner kill would keep UK alive, 14-10, but UGA would win the battle 15-9.
Kentucky closes the 2003 home season against third-ranked Florida on Sunday at 1:30 in Memorial Coliseum. The Cats will bid farewell to seniors Sissy Canfield, Julie Davis and Liz McCaslin in a special pregame ceremony.
