Brown, Dusek Pegged Preseason All-SEC

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With volleyball season just around the corner, the Kentucky volleyball team placed two players on the preseason All-Southeastern Conference team Wednesday in juniors Kaz Brown and Ashley Dusek. 

Brown, a middle blocker from Waterloo, Iowa, finished the 2015 season third in the nation in blocks per set (1.61) and seventh in total blocks (180). With 160 block assists last season, the All-SEC player ranked second in single-season block assists for Kentucky all-time, while claiming the most blocks ever by a UK player in a single season during the 25-point rally scoring era. She also notched two double-double efforts in the season, the first time a Kentucky middle had notched a double-double since 2007. 

Dusek, the team’s libero from East Bernard, Texas, led the Southeastern Conference in digs from wire-to-wire, averaging 5.05 per set during her sophomore campaign. The reigning SEC Libero of the Year’s season was highlighted by a 40-dig performance at Auburn, breaking a 22-year-old UK record for most digs in a single match. Her 40 digs were the most in a single match for any player in the SEC last season and the only 40-dig performance from a player at a Power Five institution. Dusek was a model for consistency during the season, only registering two matches with less than 10 digs.

Earlier last week, the Wildcats were pegged as the No. 24 team in the country in the preseason AVCA poll. Kentucky has now been ranked in 48 of the last 49 AVCA polls. UK will once again have one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, with six of its opponents ranked in the preseason top-25 and two more receiving votes.  The preseason ranking marks a school-record five consecutive AVCA preseason rankings. 

Kentucky was selected to finish third in the SEC preseason coaches’ poll behind Florida and league favorite Texas A&M.

Kentucky fans will be able to see the team in action for the first time on Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. at the annual Blue-White Scrimmage. Admission to the event is free. 

UK will spend the first two weeks of the regular season on the road, first traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana, to take part in the Mortar Board Classic hosted by Purdue. Kentucky’s road swing concludes at the USC Radisson Classic, hosted by Southern California in Los Angeles. Kentucky hosts its season-opening Bluegrass Battle tournament, facing off against Marquette, Virginia and Saint Louis on Sept. 9-10.

Single-match and season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale now. Season tickets begin at $35, and single-match ticket information can be found here. More information on how to buy tickets can be found here or by calling the UK Ticket Office at 800-928-CATS.

For the latest on the Kentucky volleyball team, follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.