LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky rifle team returns to action this weekend when it hosts NC State and defending-national champion Alaska-Fairbanks.

The match is the first for the Wildcats, who are 3-2, since losing a heartbreaker to intra-state rival Murray State on Nov. 7. That contest came down to center shots after the teams tied 4617-4617 through the smallbore and air rifle events.

?Hopefully we can put the last match behind us and bounce back,? said coach Harry Mullins. ?I think we?ve had a real good week of preparation and I think we can improve our score from the Murray State match.?

Freshman Ray Geyer leads Kentucky into the contest with the Wildcats top average in both smallbore and air rifle. Fellow freshman Chris Boggs has been a staple in the air rifle line up as the only shooter to crack 580 in four of the team?s five matches.

In smallbore, All-American Vicki Goss rebounded from a tough outing in her previous meet to shoot the team?s high score against the Racers.

?Ray and Chris have continued to really make an impact for us early on,? said Mullins. ?But, it?s good to see Vicki beginning to move forward to get to the level we know she can shoot at.?

NC State is 3-1 on the season after winning the South Eastern Air Rifle Conference a year ago. Meanwhile, Alaska-Fairbanks is 2-0 early on and has won six straight national championships.

?Obviously, this is going to be a very tough weekend for us,? Mullins said. ?Both teams bring championship-caliber programs to the table. We?ll have to be at our best to win each match, but I think we?re getting there with the way we?ve been progressing so far this season.?

Kentucky finished as the national runner-up to the Nanooks in both 2001 and 2002.