Volleyball
Three Wildcats Claim SEC Weekly Awards

Three Wildcats Claim SEC Weekly Awards

by Grant Gearheart

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the first time this season, three Kentucky volleyball players have received Southeastern Conference honors in the same week for their performances in the last two matches that led to a share of the conference title. The Wildcats picked up their sixth overall SEC Player of the Week award this season – third in a row – after junior outside hitter Leah Edmond claimed the top honor. Sophomore setter Madison Lilley earned setter of the week honors, while outside hitter Alli Stumler notched her second freshman of the week award.
 
This marks Edmond’s third player of the week honor this season. The junior posted 5.67 kills per set for the week, while hitting .391 to go along with 1.67 digs per set. Her 22 kills against Missouri, who ranked second in the SEC in opponent hitting percentage and blocks, tied the top mark for a match in a three-setter in the league this season. Now UK’s all-time leader in kills in the 25-point rally-scoring era, Edmond’s .439 hitting clip against in the championship-clinching match over Missouri was her second-best effort of 2018. Edmond has now posted a combined average of 6.9 terminations per set against the tigers in their two meetings this season.
 
Lilley, who was player of the week last week, hauled in her eighth SEC weekly award of the season. The Overland Park, Kansas, native averaged more than 13 assists for the week (13.17), 79 in total, and 2.67 digs per set. The sophomore guided UK to a .425 hitting clip for both matches, including it’s second-highest clip in 2018 on Sunday (.460) in the sweep of Missouri. Her ninth double-double of the year also came on Sunday, giving her two in the last three matches.
 
Stumler received the second SEC weekly award of her young career. The freshman averaged more than four kills per set (4.17) for the week on a .429 hitting clip with 2.67 digs per set and just one reception error. Stumler forfeited just one attack error on 56 swings over the course of both matches. She matched her career best of 15 kills in the win against Missouri on her second-best hitting percentage (.438). The Floyds Knobs, Indiana, product has now posted at least 10 kills and hit for .308 in each of the last three matches.
 
Kentucky will hit the road for its final road match of the season at South Carolina at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday before returning home for Senior Day against Auburn on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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