Nov. 4, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following its two most impressive victories of the season the Kentucky volleyball team is set to return to the road for a pair of matches this weekend beginning with a matchup at Mississippi State Friday. First serve is set for 8 p.m. ET.
Kentucky (13-11, 7-7) were sparked by a strong defensive performance at the net for a pair of sweeps over Georgia and Auburn a week ago. UK combined for 27 blocks in six sets of action in the two victories. UK totaled 15.5 blocks against Georgia which was the most blocks for a three-set match all season long. Junior Gretchen Giesler’s six total blocks led five UK players with three or more rejections in the match.
The Blue and White defeated Auburn in stylish fashion with a 3-0 sweep. The victory needed a stroke of magic in the second set win. Kentucky trailed 22-15 in the frame and stormed back to win the set 26-24. UK saved match point with the score at 24-21 and would go on to score five unanswered points to capture the 2-0 lead into intermission. In the final run of points in the comeback, UK’s veterans of Becky Pavan, Blaire Hiler, Lauren Rapp and Ann Armes all tallied a kill to close out the stanza.
Kentucky would then once again need to fight back to complete the sweep. UK staved off a 17-11 deficit to come back and secure the sweep with a 25-23 final set victory.
Mississippi State holds an 11-13 overall record and a 3-10 mark in Southeastern Conference action. The Bulldogs are led by Caitlin Rance’s 3.61 kills per set on .235 hitting. Paris Perret dishes out 9.16 assists per frame as Mississippi State tacks down 12.09 kills per set.
Kentucky owns an all-time record of 38-1 over the Bulldogs including a 3-0 sweep in Lexington on Oct. 17.
The Kentucky volleyball team earned a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-13) sweep over visiting Mississippi State behind a complete team effort for its third consecutive Southeastern Conference victory earlier this season.
Kentucky earned the sweep behind 46 kills on a sizzling .308 hitting clip in the win. Four players totaled seven or more hammers led by Hiler’s match-high 13 on .423 hitting.
Rapp posted 10 kills on a .450 hitting clip. Setter Christine Hartmann dished out 36 assists while chipping in with four kills of her own.
Freshman White Billings had a match-high 13 digs to lead the back row. Billings chipped in with eight kills. Sophomore Stephanie Klefot totaled 11 digs and freshman Jessi Greenberg had seven. Kentucky collected 55 digs on the night for an average of 18.33 digs per set. UK out-blocked the Bulldogs by a seven-to-four margin. Giesler paced the front line defense with four block assists.
Pavan continued to provide an added spark for the Wildcats. Pavan posted seven kills while adding a pair of assists, three service aces and a career-high six digs. For the match the Wildcats scored 19 points while Pavan was as the service line.
Follow along all season long with the Wildcats at UKathletics.com.
