LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The Kentucky volleyball team coming off a 22-10 fall season will host its first of two spring matches on Saturday, when they welcome Illinois to Memorial Coliseum at 1 p.m.
Admission to the event is free for all patrons. At the conclusion of the match the UK volleyball players will conduct a free middle school clinic for participants in grades 5-through-8. No pre-registration is required. The UK team asks those who plan to participate to wear a t-shirt and comfortable playing shoes.
Kentucky enjoyed an outstanding season in 2007 that saw them make a trip to the NCAA Championships for a school-record third consecutive season. With their 22 wins, they eclipsed the 20-win plateau for the first time since 1993 and have won 17 matches or more for three straight seasons. UK concluded the season with the most ever SEC victories and the most ever road wins in program history. Junior Queen Nzenwa earned All-America accolades as a member of the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention squad. Nzenwa is UK?s first All-American in nearly 15 years.
?We are looking forward to playing Illinois,? said Head Coach Craig Skinner. ?It will be our first game action since December. We?ve really had some good practices in our first few weeks of the spring, and this match will be a good indicator of where we are as a team and what we will have to work on to continue to improve.?
Illinois posted its 21st winning season in the last 23 years in 2007. The Fighting Illini finished the season 16-14 with nine of the losses coming in five games and another in four to No. 9 Wisconsin.
?Illinois beat some great teams in the fall,? said Skinner. ?They are a great team, and this match will have a high level of competition that will be exciting for our fans to see.?
The match with Illinois marks one of two home matches for the Wildcats this season in their spring slate. Saturday?s match at home will also mark the opening of the 2008 spring season for the Blue and White.
UK players have already reached personal bests in their measured off-season workout plans this spring. The improvements in the workout regiments have resulted in improved play on the court, and the team is eager to see the results on the court against opposing competition.
Complete coverage of the UK volleyball team can be found at www.ukathletics.com.
