Sept. 4, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 16 Kentucky’s offense sparked a 3-2 (25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 21-25, 15-10) win over South Florida in its second match of the Kentucky Classic Saturday. The Wildcats recorded 62 kills on .227 hitting in the most balanced offense attack of the season.
Three players totaled 12 or more kills to help pace the Blue and White’s offense. Freshman Whitney Billings matched a career-high with 15 kills to lead the team. Junior Ann Armes had her most productive offensive output of the season with 13 strikes. Senior Lauren Rapp added 12 to round out the trio of double-figure kills. Setter Christine Hartmann dished out 39 assists in leading a balanced offense as seven different UK players posted at least one kill.
Kentucky (3-2) has now won three consecutive matches and will play for the Kentucky Classic title against Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. ET this evening.
Rapp and Billings each posted a double-double effort. In addition to their double-digit kill total Billings added 12 scoops with Rapp pitching in 11. Hartmann added 14 scoops to also record a double-double. Stephanie Klefot guided the back-row defense with 18 digs and Alexandra Morgan posted five blocks for her third consecutive match with five or more rejections.
Junior Becky Pavan chipped in with eight kills and Blaire Hiler posted five hammers to aid the cause. Freshman Elizabeth Koberstein directed the offense for one stanza and passed out a career-best 10 assists and added four digs.
Kentucky captured the opening set by a 25-20 margin with UK totaling 13 kills on .206 hitting. Billings led the way with four in the frame. The teams exchanged points back-and-forth throughout the majority of the season. Kentucky broke loose for an 18-17 and never looked back. UK finished the stanza by scoring seven of the final 10 points. A kill from Armes gave UK the opening set victory.
UK struck for 15 kills on .303 hitting in the second stanza en route to a 25-22 win and a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Billings and Morgan each had four kills in the set with Hartmann dishing out 13 assists.
Kentucky had a comfortable lead at 17-11 before South Florida played its way back into things. The Bulls never got closer than three points, but did save set point twice before Rapp’s thunderous slam lifted the Blue and White to the win.
South Florida then roared back to take the next two sets and force a decisive fifth stanza. The Bulls benefited from 16 combined errors from the Wildcats in the two frames.
A kill from Hartmann began the scoring in the fifth set for UK’s early lead. South Florida came back to score the next three points and take a 3-1 advantage. The Wildcats returned the favor to score the next five points and take a 6-3 lead after a kill from Pavan. It would be all the room the Blue and White would need to break loose. Hiler scored the final three points for the Wildcats to claim the fifth set by a 15-10 score.
Hiler had four kills in the stanza and UK charted nine points off of kills to roll to its third straight win.
Kentucky returns to action this evening to face Ohio State who is also undefeated in the Kentucky Classic. The Buckeyes defeated Miami (OH) 3-2 in the second match of the morning session today.
Follow along with the UK volleyball team all season long at UKathletics.com.
