Kentucky To Play for SEC Championship on Saturday vs. Ole Miss
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Volleyball team will have its third-straight Southeastern Conference championship to play for on Saturday afternoon, as it welcomes the Ole Miss Rebels to Lexington for a 1 p.m. ET match inside Memorial Coliseum. Saturday will also be Senior Day, as seniors Caitlyn Cooper, Leah Edmond, Leah Meyer and Kylie Schmaltz will be honored pre-match.
The match will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the ESPN app. Admission to Saturday’s match is free for all patrons and seating will be open for all seats to the Coliseum.
Kentucky enters Saturday’s match in a two-way tie for the SEC lead with Florida at 15-2 in conference play. If Kentucky wins on Saturday, it is guaranteed a share of the SEC title, with a Florida loss and a UK win combining for an outright title for Kentucky. Should Kentucky and Florida both win or both lose on Saturday – they would share the SEC title, and UK would get the automatic NCAA bid based off of two head-to-head wins over the Gators this season. Kentucky won the SEC in 2017 and 2018.
Saturday will be the second meeting between the Wildcats and Rebels of the season. On Oct. 30, Kentucky traveled to Oxford and won a tight four-set match against Ole Miss, 3-1. Kentucky won despite starting setter Madison Lilley missing the match due to concussion protocol. Cameron Scheitzach was spectacular for UK on that Sunday, recording a career-high 50 assists, while also logging six digs.
UK leads the all-time series with Ole Miss, 46-11. The Wildcats have won the last 15 matches in a row dating back to 2010, which was the Rebels’ last win over UK. Kentucky has prevailed in 36 of the last 39 sets it has faced the Rebels.
After starting off with a 6-0 record in the SEC, Ole Miss enters play on Saturday at 6-11, having lost 11 straight matches. The Rebels have dropped multiple five-setters in that stretch, having pushed the Florida Gators to five set a few weeks ago in Oxford. Ole Miss sits at 14-14 overall and will need to win on Saturday to qualify for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky is currently slotted at No. 7 in the NCAA’s latest release of the ratings percentage index (RPI), released on Monday afternoon. The top 16 teams in the eyes of the NCAA selection committee will receive the opportunity to host the first and second round matches of the NCAA Tournament on their home floors. The top four teams in the country will host regionals, as well, assuming they advance past the first and second rounds. Should Kentucky be selected as a host site for either the opening rounds or the regionals, UKathletics.com will have the most up-to-date ticket information within 24 hours of the selection announcement.
Selection Show Watch Party
Kentucky Volleyball is inviting Big Blue Nation to Memorial Coliseum on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET as the Wildcats will find out their road to the Final Four. Fans are invited to come watch the 2019 NCAA Selection Show live on ESPNU with the team on the new videoboard of Memorial.
Admission is free, and doors will open at 8 p.m. ET, ahead of the 8:30 p.m. ET selection show.
Senior Day Ceremonies
UK will honor its four seniors at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET with an on-court ceremony. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats to help send off the seniors in their final regular season home match as Wildcats.
Follow along with the Wildcats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
