Oct. 28, 2010
| LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky volleyball team resumes action this weekend with a pair of home matches beginning with a contest against Georgia on Friday night. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Kentucky (11-11, 5-7) has been terrific on its home floor in the last five seasons under Craig Skinner. UK possesses a 63-12 record in Memorial Coliseum in that span including a 9-3 mark this season.
Senior Lauren Rapp has steadily led the Wildcats in 2010 with an average of 2.60 kills per set which ranks second on the team. Rapp possesses the best hitting clip with a .304 percentage while also leading the team with 0.98 blocks per set. The Indianapolis native has already notched her 1,000th career kill and is moving up the ladder on a number of UK’s all-time career charts including block assists, aces, kills, hitting percentage and career sets played.
Georgia enters the weekend maintaining an 11-12 overall record and a 3-6 mark in Southeastern Conference action. The Bulldogs are paced by Valentina Gonzalez’s 2.73 kills per set on .396 hitting. Kathleen Gates directs the offense to the tune of 10.42 assists per set and an average of 13.40 kills per frame. Ann Dylla posts 1.12 blocks per set to lead the defensive effort.
The Wildcats and Georgia met in Athens, Ga., in late September with the squads providing a thrilling five-set affair. Kentucky rallied from a 2-0 deficit to emerge from the road with a 3-2 victory. UK owns a 31-24 overall record over Georgia and has captured the win in each of the last 10 meetings.
Senior Blaire Hiler’s career day ignited a comeback effort by the then 24th-ranked Kentucky volleyball team to a dramatic 3-2 (21-25, 20-25, 28-26, 25-19, 15-13) win at Georgia. The senior totaled a career-best in kills (18) and blocks (seven) to help the Blue and White rally from a 2-0 deficit to win the final three sets and claim the match.
“This is one of my all-time favorite wins,” UK coach Craig Skinner said following the win. “Our team could have packed it in, but they came back and competed. They played fearlessly and that is something we are going to have to continue to do.”
Hiler led the total team effort in both kills and blocks. Rapp posted 14 kills on a blistering .542 hitting clip and chipped in with five blocks. Junior Ann Armes totaled 10 kills and had nine digs, while freshman Whitney Billings was the fourth UK player to reach double-figures in kills with 10 while adding four digs.
Sophomore setter Christine Hartmann came off the bench to lead the UK rally from the floor general slot and post 30 assists and leading UK to an above .300 hitting clip.
Follow along all season long with the Wildcats at UKathletics.com.
Promotions for the Georgia match
* Chick-fil-A Junior Wildcat Club Night
* UK Student Night
* FREE UK sunglasses for the first 50 UK fans
