Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes. These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, Sept. 11:
Volleyball: Whitney Billings
Sophomore Whitney Billings has simply turned into a different player since shifting to the right side. In UK’s biggest non-conference rival match of the season, Billings had the best match of her career. She led the team with 11 kills on a career-high .450 hitting percentage. She was unstoppable defensively, as well picking up a season-high 15 digs and adding four blocks. Behind her career-day, UK swept Louisville for the first time since 1988, and has now beaten them consecutively for the first time since 1993. Billings, did not stop there, however. She would go on to have another double-figure kill effort and continue to shine for UK in the passing game. As the Wildcats’ No. 2 primary passer, Billings picked up 3.69 digs per set and had three matches with 10 or more digs for the week. She had season-highs in every category on the week including 2.62 kills per set and a .316 hitting clip. In 51 attempts, Billings only had three service errors.
Football: Josh Clemons
Had a career game vs. CMU with 14 rushes for 126 yards, including a 87-yard TD rush that was the fourth-longest rush in school history and the longest rush by a UK player since 1970. The rush was the longest ever by a UK freshman. Clemons leads the Wildcats in rushing, while sitting eighth in the SEC. Both of his touchdown runs this season have been game winners.
Football: La’Rod King
Earned a career-high 100 yards receiving, including a 34-yard touchdown pass in the Kentucky win against Central Michigan. King caught five passes in the game, which tied a career-high in receptions.
Volleyball: Stephanie Klefot
Junior libero Stephanie Klefot had another week to remember for the Wildcats. With 69 digs on the weekend, in a match vs. Houston, Klefot became the 10th player in school history to post 1,000 or more digs in a career. She moved into 10th place all-time for career digs surpassing former All-America setter Sarah Rumely. Klefot was named to the UK Invitational All-Tournament team, and has been an All-Tournament team member in back to back weeks. She averaged 5.31 scoops per set for the week. She posted two matches with 20 or more scoops and has now charted more than 20 digs in a match on 47 occasions and four times this season. Loyola Marymount broke her streak of 10 or more digs in a match, when the Lions purposefully avoided Klefot’s portion of the floor. Instead, sophomore Jessi Greenberg had her first career 10 or more dig match because of Klefot’s prowess. Her three assists in a win over West Virginia as well as three aces, were both season highs as she contributed to the offense. Klefot led the way for UK in the serve-receive line as well. Klefot had 80 balls served her way, and missed on just one for a .988 average.
Men’s soccer: Matt Lodge
Kentucky junior Matt Lodge had another dynamic week while leading a potent Wildcat offensive attack … Lodge netted three goals and had two assists in the three games during the week, including a hat trick in UK’s 4-2 win over IPFW on Tuesday night … Lodge’s hat trick on Tuesday was UK’s first hat trick since 2006 and just the seventh in program history … A native of Rossington, England, Lodge has totaled staggering numbers through the first seven games of the season, leading UK with five goals and three assists, firing 36 shots and owning one game-winning goal … In UK’s games with Stanford and No. 13 Cal during a two-game road swing in California, Lodge notched assists in both games, with both goals giving the Wildcats a lead.
Volleyball: Lauren O’Conner
Freshman Lauren O’Conner continues to have a positive impact for UK. Since becoming a permanent fixture in the starting lineup, Kentucky has rattled off seven consecutive wins thanks in large part to O’Conner. This week, the freshman led UK in kills twice and she has reached double-figures in the kills column in five of UK’s last seven matches. Her 13 hammers in UK’s win over West Virginia ties a career-high. O’Conner also began contributing in more ways than just offensively. She tied a career-high three times with a trio of digs in three of UK’s four matches. She also averaged more blocks per set this week than her season average. Currently, she ranks second on the squad in kills per set and points per set. However, in Kentucky’s seven-match winning streak it is O’Conner who leads the team with 3.36 kills per set on a team-high .255 hitting clip.
Women’s soccer: Kayla Price
Kayla Price was perfect on the weekend, earning All-Tournament team honors after posting a pair of shutouts on Friday and Sunday … Price made four saves in Kentucky’s 2-0 win over in-state rival Louisville … In Sunday’s shutout over SE Missouri she came up big on a SEMO shot in the 58th minute to preserve a scoreless tie. A Redhawk got free and unleashed a hard shot from nearly 18 yards out, but Price dove to her right to make the save and thwart the Redhawk threat … It was her third shutout of the season, already just one shy of fourth on UK’s all-time freshman shutout list.
Football: Danny Trevathan
Record 13 tackles for the second consecutive week and currently leads the SEC in tackles with 26. Also had three tackles for loss and his first career interception against Central Michigan. Has now earned 11 consecutive games of 10-plu tackles.
