LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky rifle team is set to face off with UT-Martin and Murray State this weekend at Barker Hall.

?I feel that we need to stay focused on our main objectives and that is to continue to improve from match to match,? head coach Harry Mullins said. ?If we do that we should have a strong showing for the weekend. We have had some good performances these past two weeks and the team is really looking forward to the next 12 days. During this time they will shoot against three of the top five teams in the nation.?

UK will welcome UT-Martin on Saturday and national power Murray State on Sunday. UT-Martin is a solid, experienced team and Murray State is coming off a fifth-place finish in the NCAA?s last season.

?This home stretch in November is going to be a good test of our character and mental toughness,? Mullins said. ?We will have to stay focused on our goals throughout the entire month. With the strength of our competition, one slip and it can really take its toll. We have had some consistent performances in the past three matches and I think that they will even get more consistent, along with climbing up a few numbers during the middle of this month.?

Fans are encouraged to come and watch the match at Barker Hall, with the best time to come watch being Saturday between 10:30 and 12:30 and 3:30 and 5:00. Sunday fans are encouraged to come between 8:00 and 12:00.

?The team is really working hard both on the range and in the classroom,? Mullins concluded. ?With midterms ending and finals coming around the corner our freshman, along with the rest of the team, are really performing well under the stress of everyday college work. I think we will see some good things from our regular starting lineup along with some new numbers from some of the other team members. They have all been working hard.?