Oct. 4, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky volleyball team will take its three match winning streak on the road this weekend as UK travels to Ole Miss for an 8 p.m. ET first serve on Friday. UK will finish the road swing at No. 11 Florida on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Kentucky (9-6, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) has benefited from strong play in all phases of the game en route to a three-match winning streak. In the run the Wildcats have logged 3.04 blocks and 17.08 digs per set in the wins. Three UK players are registering a block or more per stanza led by 1.17 from reigning SEC Player of the Week Whitney Billings. Senior Stephanie Klefot leads the rejuvenated back line defensive effort with 50 digs over the last three wins.
Senior setter Christine Hartmann has paced the offensive effort to the tune of 13.50 kills per set on a .235 hitting clip in the three wins. Hartmann is averaging 11.20 assists per set and is finding five different attackers for two or more kills per set.
Billings was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday, becoming the first Wildcat to win the award this season. She led UK in two wins over Tennessee and Auburn by leading the team in kills (4.14) and digs (4.43), while registering a pair of double-double efforts.
Kentucky will go into Ole Miss (8-6, 3-3 SEC) hoping to become the first team to defeat the Rebels at home this season. The Rebels have claimed wins in all four matches played at home this season.
The Rebels are coming off of a 3-0 sweep on the road against South Carolina. Senior setter Amanda Philpot was instrumental in the victory with 24 assists, seven kills and six digs.
For the season, the Rebels have been led offensively by junior outside hitter Kara Morgan who has racked up 155 kills this season (3.23). Defensively, junior middle blocker Kellie Gross leads Ole Miss with 41 total blocks (.91) while senior Ashley Veach has tallied 258 digs (4.96) this year.
The Wildcats own an all-time 34-12 record against Ole Miss, including winning seven of the last eight meetings. UK won both matches a season ago, which included a nail-biting five-set thriller in Oxford in the middle of November.
UKathletics.com will provide an interactive live blog of the Wildcats vs. Rebels. As always, live stats will also be provided through UK’s official website.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the UK volleyball team. For additional coverage of the volleyball squad be sure and check out CatScratchesBlog.com/volleyball.
