March 25, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After its first Sweet Sixteen appearance under head coach Craig Skinner, the Kentucky volleyball team is set to return to the court for its spring schedule beginning Saturday, March 27. The Wildcats will take part in a trio of tournaments and have one additional match at Illinois during their spring slate.
Up first for the Wildcats is a trip to the Munciana Collegiate Invitational on Saturday which includes participating teams such as Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue and Dayton.
Kentucky defeated Michigan State 3-0 in the First Round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament played in Lexington. UK also saw Indiana and Purdue on the floor during the fall season as a part of regular season matches. The Wildcats claimed 3-1 victories over both the Hoosiers and the Boilermakers. Dayton has been a consistent member of the NCAA Tournament field for the last four seasons under coach Kelly Sheffield.
UK will then return to action at Illinois on April 3. The Fighting Illini were a consistent member of the top-10 among the national polls during the 2009 season and also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to eventual Final Four participant Hawaii.
During the third weekend of play for the Blue and White, Kentucky will travel to the Kentucky-Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA) tournament held in Louisville on April 10. Teams among the field in that tournament include Michigan State, Louisville, Cincinnati and Missouri. The Wildcats defeated Cincinnati in a thrilling five-set match in Lexington in the fall. Louisville and UK renewed its rivalry with the Cardinals last season and will see one another on the floor again this fall as part of a home-and-home series in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The Missouri Tigers were 18-14 overall on the season in an always competitive Big 12 field.
To conclude spring action, Kentucky will once again play host to a three-team round-robin tournament on April 24 in Memorial Coliseum. Traveling to Lexington is Georgia Tech and Purdue. The Yellow Jackets capped a 21-10 season with a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2009. Purdue is a perennial Big 10 power and consistent member of the top-25.
Follow along with the Wildcats on UKathletics.com all season long for the most up to date information, stats and releases.
2010 Spring Schedule
March 27 – Munciana Collegiate Invitational
April 3 – at Illinois
April 10 – KIVA Collegiate Invitational
April 24 – Kentucky Spring Tournament
2010 Kentucky Spring Tournament on April 24 at Memorial Coliseum
9:30 am – Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech
12:30 pm – Purdue vs. Georgia Tech
3:30 pm – Kentucky vs. Purdue
