Volleyball

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. ? The University of Kentucky volleyball team posted a 4-0 weekend in Indianapolis on its way to staying unbeaten in spring action this weekend.

The Wildcats earned four victories, including a tournament win over Pittsburgh in the final game of play. UK used pool bracket play where they earned wins over Valparaiso, Purdue and Bowling Green before meeting Pittsburgh in the championship match.

?We had a good day winning all four matches,? said Head Coach Craig Skinner. ?It helps us recognize the things we work on in practice are paying off on the court against strong opposition.?

Kentucky opened play with a three-game 20-25, 25-17, 15-12 win over Valparaiso. Next up, UK needed just two games to shake Purdue, 25-18, 27-15. To close out the pool play Kentucky defeated Bowling Green by a score of 25-21, 25-14.

?I thought our focus on our side of the net was really good,? said Skinner. ?We competed, staying in the moment while executing under pressure for the entire day.?

Pittsburgh and Kentucky met for the final match of the day, having each played three matches prior to their game. The Panthers took the first game 25-23, but the Blue and White quickly responded to stretch the match into a deciding third set with a second frame win, 28-26. Kentucky hung on for a 15-13 win in the third game to keep an unblemished spring record at 5-0.

?We were really proud of the way our players finished the match against a really good Pittsburgh team,? Skinner said. ?We made some tough plays especially at the end of games two and three.?

Rising junior Sarah Rumely enjoyed an impressive outing registering 124 assists, 16 kills and a team-leading nine solo blocks. Returning All-American Queen Nzenwa added 26 kills, and six solo put-backs. Rising sophomores Lauren Rapp and Sarah Mendoza combined to contribute 51 kills and nine blocks.

UK will play a home match when they welcome Morehead State on April 25. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. that Friday. Complete coverage of the UK volleyball team can be found by visiting www.ukathletics.com.

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