Nov. 18, 2010
Match Notes
| Cat Scratches: Rapp, Hiler look to prolong careers, extend season for bubble-riding Cats
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fresh off its most dramatic victory of the season, the Kentucky volleyball team will take its positive momentum on the road for the final regular season match away from Lexington. UK is set to travel to Ole Miss for an 8 p.m. ET start on Friday, Nov. 19.
Kentucky (16-12, 10-8) capped Senior Day in style with a 3-2 victory over No. 15 LSU on Sunday, as senior Lauren Rapp led the way. Rapp notched 17 kills, 10 digs, four blocks and a career-high six assists in leading UK to the win. For her efforts she was named the AVCA National Player of the Week as well as the SEC Player of the Week. Fellow senior Blaire Hiler added 11 kills and the senior pair scored the final two points for Kentucky in the 15-11 deciding fifth frame.
In addition to national Player of the Week honors, Rapp also earned the conference’s Player of the Week distinction. Sophomore Stephanie Klefot earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for her 29-dig performance against the Tigers. Klefot has now amassed 467 digs for the season which is the eighth most in a single-season in UK allure.
Ole Miss currently is second in the SEC West with a 19-8 overall record and a 13-5 mark in SEC action. The Rebels are paced by 3.08 kills per frame from the hand of Whitney Craven. Middle Blocker Miranda Kitts led the Rebels in a win over Auburn last Sunday, putting down 14 kills and hitting .414 for the contest. Kitts is hitting .303 on the year and averages more than a block a set for the Rebels as one of the most consistent performers on the team offensively and defensively.
The Rebels claimed a 3-0 victory over Kentucky in Lexington earlier this season, however the Blue and White leads the all-time series with a 31-12 record. Prior to the loss in October, Kentucky had won the previous four meeting between the squads.
The middle blocker duo of Rapp and Alexandra Morgan shined in a 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-17) Kentucky loss to Ole Miss in front of 1,239 fans honoring breast cancer awareness during the Dig for the Cure match.
Rapp posted a team-high 17 kills on an impressive .577 hitting percentage. Morgan matched a career-high with eight kills on a blazing .800 attacking clip. The duo led the team in kills from the middle blocker position.
Klefot continued her steady play at the libero position with a match-high 16 digs in the match. Freshman Whitney Billings posted eight kills and Hiler contributed five. Setter Christine Hartmann finished with 35 assists and added a pair of kills.
Ole Miss totaled 41 kills on .280 hitting and earned seven blocks while keeping Kentucky to just a .176 hitting percentage.
Follow along all season long with the Wildcats at UKathletics.com.
