Sept. 3, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Led by another terrific offensive performance from freshman Lauren O’Conner and a team-high 11 kills from junior Ashley Frazierthe Kentucky volleyball team earned its second consecutive sweep in the Kentucky Classic with a 3-0 (25-20, 30-28, 25-14) victory over Ohio Saturday morning.
Kentucky improves to 4-2 on the season with the win, and Ohio drops to 3-2 on the year.
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| Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech Sat., Sept. 3 – 7:30 p.m. ET Lexington, Ky. Memorial Coliseum |
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“I was pleased with our performance this morning,” UK coach Craig Skinnersaid. “Now we have to be ready for Virginia Tech tonight.”
UK will finish its run in the Kentucky Classic with Virginia Tech at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET this evening.
Frazier led the kill output with 11 hammers and O’Conner also reached double figures with 10. It marked the second consecutive match that the Taylor Mill, Ky., freshman notched 10 or more hammers in a match.
Senior Gretchen Giesler chipped in with seven and sophomore Whitney Billingscharted six on the afternoon. Billings also notched 12 digs and a trio of blocks. She was one of four Wildcats to earn three blocks in the match.
Junior setter Christine Hartmanndished out 33 assists and added five kills of her own.
Junior libero Stephanie Klefot earned a match-high 16 digs with reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week Jackie Napper picking up 10 to aid the Wildcat cause. Sophomore Jessi Greenbergchipped in with six in the win.
Kentucky opened the match with a 25-20 opening set victory. UK totaled 12 kills with O’Conner leading the way with four in the stanza.
Giesler opened the scoring with a block to set the tone for the match. Kentucky earned an advantage it would never relinquish with the opening point. Kentucky would earn its largest lead of the stanza following a kill from Billings at 20-16. A Hartmann kill and a forced error by the visiting Bobcats capped the set with Kentucky earning the five-point edge.
The teams battled back and forth in the second set with extra points needed to determine an outcome. UK prevailed with a 30-28 win behind 19 kills on an impressive .302 hitting percentage. Frazier, Giesler and O’Conner all stashed away four kills in the set.
The squads exchanged points throughout much of the entire set, until a kill from senior Ann Armeslifted Kentucky to a 22-19 advantage. Ohio responded with a run of its own to tie the score at 23. UK saved set point five times all in the form of a kill with the final one coming off the hand of Frazier. The junior then lifted Kentucky with a 29-28 edge with an ace before the duo of Armes and Billings came up with a powerful block to end the set in style.
A Giesler and O’Conner block opened the third set scoring. Giesler posted a kill and then teamed up with O’Conner for a block to lift UK to a 2-0 lead and the home team would never look back rolling to a 25-14 final set win.
Frazier paced the attack in the final set with five kills, while Billings came up with a squad-best eight digs in the clinching set-win.
Kentucky’s Memorial Coliseum will play host to the NCAA Regionals Dec. 9-10. UK is one of four sites selected for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups with one team advancing to the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, from the Lexington Region. Tickets are on sale now through the UK Ticket Office.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the UK volleyball team and all of Kentucky’s 22 teams.
Kentucky Classic Tournament Schedule
Friday, Sept. 2
Ohio def. Virginia Tech – 3-2 (16-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 16-14)
Kentucky def. WKU – 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-23)
Saturday, Sept. 3
Kentucky def. Ohio – 3-0 (25-20, 30-28, 25-14)
WKU vs. Virginia Tech – 1 p.m.
WKU vs. Ohio – 5:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Kentucky – 7:30 p.m.
