No. 10 Kentucky Welcomes LSU for League Home Opener on Sunday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After opening the Southeastern Conference with a win at Missouri, the No. 10 Kentucky (10-2, 1-0 SEC) volleyball team will welcome LSU (9-2, 0-0 SEC) for the first SEC match in Memorial Coliseum this season. First serve is set for 1:30 p.m. on the SEC Network+ and the Watch ESPN app, with Dick Gabriel and Kathy DeBoer on the call.
After Sunday’s match, the Wildcats will have six days off until they travel to Mississippi State. UK will take on the Bulldogs on, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. ET at the Newell-Grissom Building.
Scouting the Opponent – LSU
LSU will start SEC play against Texas A&M tonight with a 9-2 record. After starting the season on a seven-match winning streak, LSU dropped back-to-back matches against North Carolina and Baylor. The Tigers swept Houston last Sunday. LSU averages 1.4 kills per set more than its opponents this season, and are led by Taylor Bannister at 3.00 kills per frame. Jacquio Armer leads the way in blocking at 1.41 blocks per set, while Anna Zwiebel has led the way in helpers at 9.07 per frame.
The Wildcats are 37-24 all-time against the Tigers. UK is currently riding a three-match winning streak and has won eight out of the last 10.
Starting SEC Play on the Right Foot
Kentucky started the SEC season off with a win on the road, 3-1, over Missouri. Freshman Madison Lilley had her fifth double-double of the season after posting 52 assists and 12 digs. She helped the team hit .313 over four sets and produced 63 kills. Sophomore Leah Edmond had 18 kills on 33 swings and two errors. She added eight digs and four total blocks.
Ashley Dusek is Back
Ashley Dusek has been stellar in her return from injury. Dusek has been the starting libero since Sept. 15 against Louisville. Dusek has 47 digs since returning as the starter, averaging 4.27 scoops per frame. The East Bernard, Texas, native has 72 digs since she has returned to the floor and averages four digs per set. Against Kennesaw State, Dusek had 14 scoops and was one assist away from a double-double. She’s hit her season-high of 17 twice this season, against Louisville and Marquette.
Career Best For Leah Edmond
In the win over Missouri, Leah Edmond had quite a match. She put up 18 kills on 33 swings with just two errors, good for a career-best .485 attacking percentage. Edmond was great on defense as well, putting up eight digs and five blocks.
Kentucky in the National and League Rankings
Freshman Madison Lilley is No. 10 in the nation in assists per set at 11.64. She’s No. 2 in the conference, behind Rachel Rippee of Arkansas.
Leah Edmond is currently No. 27 in the nation in kills per set at 4.41 and third in the SEC, behind the national leader, Pilar Victoria of Arkansas and Rachel Ritchie of Georgia.
Emily Franklin is No. 28 in that nation in hitting percentage at .405. She’s third in the SEC, behind Rachael Kramer of Florida and Shaina White of Auburn.
As a team, Kentucky is sixth in the nation in hitting percentage at .315. UK is the highest SEC team. UK sits at No. 10 in kills per set at 14.5, also the best SEC squad.
Record Holder
Kaz Brown set the 25-point rally scoring era record for total blocks in the match against Loyola earlier in the season. She’ll head into the week with 475 total blocks, and also holds the block assists record with 424.
Chasing Records
Kaz Brown is climbing the 25-point rally scoring era record book in multiple categories. The Waterloo, Iowa, native is currently in second in solo blocks (51). The senior is also seventh in kills at 817 and 10th in attack attempts at 1,701.
Emily Franklin is currently eighth in block solos with 29, fourth in blocks assists at 287 and fifth in total blocks at 316. Franklin also has the sixth-highest attacking percentage in the rally scoring era at .317.
Darian Mack is moving up the 25-point rally scoring era record book in kills and points. Mack is ninth all-time with 699 kills and eighth in attacks with 1,874. In total points, she is in ninth with 795.0.
Ashley Dusek is currently fourth in the rally scoring era with 1,241 digs and ninth in assists at 202.
Career Leaders
Kaz Brown is currently third in the country among active players in career blocks. Her 475 total blocks trail only Faith Dooley of North Dakota and Rhamat Alhassan of Florida.
AVCA Ranking
The Wildcats are ranked after week four, moving up two spots to No. 10. Under head coach Craig Skinner, the team has been ranked for 104 weeks, and currently has appeared in the poll for 14-consecutive weeks. Skinner’s highest ranking was No. 7 in 2009.
Sweeping the Battle of the Bluegrass
Kentucky won the annual Battle of the Bluegrass last weekend in a sweep. UK has now won five straight over Louisville, and seven of the last nine meetings since the series was renewed in 2009. Avery Skinner shined in the win with a match-high 15 kills on 34 swings. Senior Emily Franklin posted nine kills and an impressive seven blocks in the win, while classmate Kaz Brown had seven terminations and two rejections.
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