If you ask anyone outside of Lexington, Ky., the Kentucky women's soccer program wasn't supposed to be here - not this quickly.

When Mitch Barnhart tabbed Jon Lipsitz as head coach three years ago, he believed Lipsitz would lead the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament, but it would require patience. The Cats showed progress in Lipsitz's first two seasons, culminating with an above .500 finish and a trip to the Southeastern Conference Tournament in 2010.

Even so, 2011 wasn't supposed to be the year the Wildcats asserted themselves on the national scene according to those outside the program. However, there was a different sense around the UK Soccer Complex from day one.

"I don't think there were a lot of people outside this group that believed we were going to be sitting here talking to you today about an NCAA bid," Lipsitz said. "Supposedly we weren't there yet and we weren't ready, but we felt something else this entire season."

With a young, shallow roster and a demanding schedule, the Cats had plenty of reasons to doubt themselves, but they never did.

"There has been a strength in this team," Lipsitz said. "We have been low on numbers from the beginning and took that as a positive and took that as an opportunity to be, as they say every day, '21 Strong'. You've been able to see something, you've been able to feel something."

The motto is a reference to the 21 players on this year's roster and has come to define this team. Nearly all team huddles break with a chorus of "21 Strong", while nary a tweet of any player or coaches end without being punctuated by the hash tag version (#21strong).

The 21 Wildcats, with a 13-7-0 (6-5-0 SEC) regular season in one of the nation's toughest conferences, have punched their tickets for the NCAA Tournament. Reaching the College Cup for the first time since 2006, UK will host Washington State (12-6-3, 6-3-2 Pac-12) at 7 p.m. Saturday at the UK Soccer Complex. It will mark the first time UK has hosted a tournament game since 1999, and fulfills a goal the Cats have had in mind all season.

"One of our huge goals as we started realizing this is an NCAA season, was we wanted to host," Lipsitz said. "And I think, from the top to the bottom, our administrators, our fans, our players and our families deserve that."

There's no question that reaching the tournament and earning the right to host a game are accomplishments in and of themselves, but the Cats wouldn't do justice to the mentality they've embraced all season if they were content.

"This is a starting point, not an end point," Lipsitz said. "This is a starting point not only for this program in the future, but more importantly for a new season."

Lipsitz, though, has made sure to stop and give his team time to enjoy the moment. He's worked tirelessly to help give UK a chance at this "new season", but gives ultimate credit to his players.

"It's, first of all and most importantly, thanks to this family (of players)," Lipsitz said. "These players have worked their tails off and have made a decision to come here and do this together. It was a leap of faith to say we're going to do this."

It's no accident that Lipsitz refers to his team as a "family" and the "21 Strong" mantra is an embodiment of the atmosphere Lipsitz has created around the program. And for the man that hired him, it stands out above any win the Cats pick up on the field.

"I think the thing that he's done most is that he's created a family environment," Barnhart said. "He's created a situation where these women do a good job of taking care of each other. They want to be better for those that are ahead of them as juniors and seniors and the seniors do a great job of leading the younger kids."

In hiring Lipsitz, Barnhart also couldn't ignore his proven background as a winner. In 10 seasons as a head coach, Lipsitz sports a record 129-57-15, including back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament with Charlotte, his last stop before coming to UK.

Coaching a team that lacks experience in the NCAA's, the lesson he'll try to impart above all others leading up to Saturday is "Have fun."

"I have gotten to be there before and it is the culmination of everything you work for," Lipsitz said. "When you're not in the NCAA's, you think about the future and that's how we felt at the end of last year. When you get there, it feels totally different."

Although it may feel different, Lipsitz won't ask his team to be anything other than the family of 21 they've been all season when they take the field against Washington State.

"Sometimes when you get into a big game, individually and as a team, you try to be something more than you are," Lipsitz said. "All we have to do is be ourselves and be the best we can be and we'll do great."

To access ticket information for Saturday's NCAA Tournament game at the UK Soccer Complex, visit Kentucky's Tourney Central page.

It can be hard to keep up with everything going on in the University of Kentucky's 22 varsity sports. With that in mind, we will highlight the best from around Kentucky sports each week. We'll recognize the best performances from Wildcat teams and players, we'll show you the coolest videos and photos that you may have missed and we'll mix in some new stuff along the way. Here are your award winners for this week:

Team of the week - Women's soccer reaches NCAA's for first time since 2006

Jon Lipsitz and the UK women's soccer team may have lost their only game this week, a 2-1 heartbreaker against Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, but their achievements for the season as a whole earned them this spot. On the strength of a 13-7-0 regular season, Kentucky learned on Monday they had officially earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. To take things a step further, the Wildcats will have the honor of hosting their first round game against Washington State (12-6-3).

UK has been led all year by the play of senior Kelsey Hunyadi, who is having one of the top seasons in school history. Hunyadi has started all 20 of Kentucky's games, leading the team in both goals (13) and assists (10) and earning second team All-SEC honors. She arrived on campus a transfer the same year Lipsitz took over head coaching duties and has played a central role in bringing the program to this point.

As much as the Cats have achieved, their season is only just beginning. Their NCAA Tournament run will get started 7 p.m. Saturday at the UK Soccer Complex. Tickets are available now and you can check out this link for complete information.

Player of the week - Greg Ferrucci continues to rewrite diving record book

Swimming and diving hosted a meet for the first time this season, with the men claiming victories over both Missouri and Southern Illinois and the women defeating Southern Illinois and falling to Missouri. Leading the way for the men was sophomore Greg Ferrucci, who claimed first place in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events.

In the one-meter competition, Ferrucci eclipsed the record score he posted just last week with a 396.25 mark. For his performance, Ferrucci earned his second consecutive SEC Male Diver of the Week award.

Game of the week - Football picks up first SEC with dominant fourth quarter

Trailing 13-10 entering the fourth quarter, UK outscored the visiting Ole Miss Rebels in the final period 20-0, carrying the Cats to their first SEC victory of the season. In his first career start, true freshman quarterback Maxwell Smith threw for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the fourth, leading the Cats to three touchdowns on four drives.

Even with a freshman under center, head coach Joker Phillips and offensive coordinator Randy Sanders dialed up aggressive play calls to take the lead and eventually pull away from Ole Miss. Wide receiver La'Rod King was the primary beneficiary of the aggressiveness, catching a go-ahead 38-yard touchdown and another 55-yard bomb to set the Cats up in the red zone for a touchdown that would all but seal the victory.

Play of the week - Men's basketball puts together highlight reel performance in final exhibition



Picking just one highlight from UK's dominating 125-40 win over Morehouse College is no small task. UK's suffocating defense led to numerous opportunities in the open floor and the athletic Cats took advantage at every juncture as they raced out to a 74-13 halftime lead.

Every play in the video above is worth a second look, but my personal favorite begins at the 18-second mark. Terrence Jones tosses ahead to Marquis Teague in the open floor, who makes an acrobatic catch on the right side of the hoop. Recognizing the speed at which he was traveling, Teague decided trying a layup on his own was too tough a proposition, so he instead opted to toss the ball off the backboard back to Jones for an uncontested dunk.

Photo of the week - Bria Goss finishes at the hoop


Playing their lone exhibition before the 2011-12 season, Matthew Mitchell and the women's basketball team took down Coker College by a score of 86-44. Leading the way for the Cats in her first game in a UK uniform was freshman Bria Goss. She scored 17 points, including this layup late in the second half

Video of the week - Volleyball staff shows off "Thriller" moves



The No. 18 Kentucky volleyball team had just one match this week, avenging an earlier loss to Mississippi State with a sweep of the Bulldogs in Memorial Coliseum. The Cats will hit the road for a pair of matches against Alabama and Ole Miss as they continue their run at the SEC title.

They took a break from their regular preparations though to film a "Tip of the Week" video for Sportwide/AVCA. Assistant coach Keith Schunzel and players Becky Pavan, Christine Hartmann and Gretchen Giesler demonstrated a crossover and swing block drill the Wildcats use in practice.

The demonstration was informative, but not nearly as entertaining as what happened at the end of the video. Schunzel, along with fellow staffers Lindsey Gray, Sara Sjuts and Anders Nelson one-upped UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell with a nearly perfect rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance for Halloween. The dancing commences at the 2:39 mark.

Alumnus/alumna of the week - John Conner scores first touchdown of the season

Former UK fullback John Conner, also known as "The Terminator" has established himself as the starting fullback for the New York Jets this season. He's known more for his crunching blocks, but he scored his first touchdown of 2011 on a one-yard dive as the Jets defeated the Buffalo Bills in a crucial AFC East battle. The touchdown was the second of his two-year NFL career.

The bracket for the 2011 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship was announced on Monday and the Kentucky Wildcats were among the first teams to hear their names called. This is the first time the Wildcats have earned an NCAA berth since 2006.

In just his third season as head coach, Jon Lipsitz has led a team that was 5-12-2 the year before his arrival to the pinnacle of the sport. Even though they were No. 17 in the RPI and relatively certain they would reach the tournament, seeing "Kentucky" on the screen was a rewarding moment.

"It's an incredibly exciting moment even though we've known for a few weeks that this was the position we were putting ourselves in," Lipsitz said. "To see your name up there means a lot."

UK (13-7-0) will play host to the Washington State Cougars (12-6-3), marking the first time the Wildcats have earned the right to host an NCAA Tournament game since 1996.

"One of our huge goals as we started realizing this is an NCAA season was we wanted to host," Lipsitz said. "And I think, from the top to the bottom, our administrators, our fans, our players and our families deserve that."

UK was not expected to advance to this point so early in Lipsitz's tenure, but the team sensed something special building early in the season when the Cats picked up victories in a pair of tournaments in Louisville, Ky., and Lexington, Ky.

"I don't think there were a lot of people outside this group that believed we were going to be sitting here talking to you today about an NCAA bid," Lipsitz said. "Supposedly we weren't there yet and we weren't ready, but we felt something else this entire season."

There is a significant sense of accomplishment associated with simply reaching the tournament,

"Right now the important thing is for us all is to take a moment to enjoy what we've developed here and everything we've done, but also to understand that the work starts tomorrow morning," Lipsitz said. "It takes a lot of work to not only make this tournament, but to win it. We plan to be ready on Saturday night.

We'll have more coverage of UK's trip to the NCAA Tournament as the week goes on, but enjoy the below video of the team (celebration starts at the 35-second mark learning they made the tournament and Lipsitz's comments at the top of the post.

Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes. These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, Oct. 30:

Volleyball: Whitney Billings

Sophomore Whitney Billings always seems to have the biggest matches of her career during the biggest of times for UK. Billings charted a season-high 17 digs on a .333 hitting clip while adding 12 digs in an upset of No. 13 Florida. Billings' double-double effort was the third of the year, but first in conference action. With the win, UK controls its own destiny and remains in the hunt for the SEC title. Billings provides a consistency in all-around play that is unmatched by any other UK player. She charted 3.00 kills per set on nearly a .300 hitting clip, while also passing out nearly an assist per set. Defensively, she picked up 2.62 digs per set and charted a perfect 1.000 serve-receive percentage while being served at a team-high 41 times. Furthermore, she contributed offensively with a team-high three service aces including a pair against the Gators.

Swimming & diving: Megan Eppler

Megan Eppler continued to see success in the pool for the second consecutive week for Kentucky, claiming the title to the 50, and 100-freestyle events on Saturday. Eppler posted a season-best 23.35 in the 50-freestyle, claiming victory by over .5 in the event. Eppler led Kentucky in a 1-2-3 finish in the 50-freestyle, as the Wildcats swept the podium. Eppler also led Kentucky to a 1-2-3 sweep of the podium in the 100-freestyle, claiming a career-best time of 51.22, winning by .77 in the event.

Swimming & diving: Greg Ferrucci

Greg Ferrucci had a career-best day on Saturday in Nashville, tabbing a career high in the one-meter diving competition, posting a score of 387.37. That score in the competition also set a new University of Kentucky school record. The reigning SEC Male Freshman Diver of the Year also set a career-best score in the three-meter showdown as Ferrucci earned a 405.07. Ferrucci helped lead Kentucky to a 1-2-3 finish in the three-meter competition.

Volleyball: Stephanie Klefot

Kentucky libero Stephanie Klefot continues to provide a consistent presence for UK's back-line defensive effort. In an upset win over No. 13 Florida, Klefot charted a season-high and match-high 28 digs to lead the Wildcats. It marked the 19th time in her career she has posted 20 or more digs in a single match. Her five assists in the match marked a season-high and just the third time in her career she has notched five or more assists. Klefot helped in the scoring effort as well with a pair of service aces. In the three-set victory over South Carolina, Klefot charted 18 digs which was good for an average of 6.00 scoops per set. Klefot leads the league with 435 digs on the year and sits just 20 scoops shy of breaking into UK's top-10 for most digs in a season with six matches remaining in the regular season.

Women's soccer: Caitlin Landis

Caitlin Landis tallied her second multi-goal game of the year netting a pair of goals in Kentucky's 4-2 win over Vanderbilt ... Landis also recorded the game-winning goal, her second this season ... Landis ranks second on the team in goals (6), points (14) and shots (53) ... Landis' efforts in the victory helped guide UK to a six-seed in the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats' highest seed since 2006.

Men's golf: Cody Martin

Sophomore UK men's golfer Cody Martin paced the Wildcats on Sunday with a fantastic round of 4-under par at the Forest Oaks Country Club (par 72, 7,212 yards). Martin had five birdies on the day, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7.

Martin got off to a hot start in 2011, finishing in the top five in each of Kentucky's first three tournaments. His top-15 finish on Sunday is his best finish since the Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational in late September. Martin's 68 is his best round since his 4-under par 67 in the second round of the UK Bluegrass Fall Invitational.

Men's tennis: Alex Musialek

• Won the singles title at the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional Indoor Championships, taking down fellow teammate and No. 3 Eric Quigley.
• The win advanced Musialek to the National Indoor Championship this week in New York.
• Advanced to the finals of the doubles main draw at the event as well.

Volleyball: Lauren O'Conner

Freshman Lauren O'Conner continues to be the epitome of consistency for the Cats. O'Conner has charted eight or more kills in all but one SEC match this season for UK. In a three-set victory over South Carolina she totaled eight hammers on a match-high .400 hitting clip. In the win over No. 13 Florida, she matched her kill output and also provided four blocks which matches a career-high. She also provided UK's offense with a pair of aces and served the final four winning points for UK in the decisive fifth set with Florida.

Men's tennis: Eric Quigley

• Advanced to the finals of the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional Indoor Championships before falling to teammate Alex Musialek.
• Third consecutive finals appearance at the event after winning the singles title the past two seasons.
• Advanced to the finals of the doubles main draw at the event as well.

Swimming & diving: Tyler Reed

Tyler Reed continued his impressive senior season, winning all three events he competed in on Saturday afternoon. Reed won the 200-freestyle by a staggering two seconds, and 50-the freestyle by over four-tenths of a second, recording times of 1:40.80 and 21.11 in the events respectfully. Reed as an individual has now won the 100-freestyle in both weekends that UK has been in competition this far in 2011-12.

Football: Matt Roark

• Senior wide receiver Matt Roark totaled a career-high with both 13 catches and 116 receiving yards today. Roark's 13 receptions rank second on UK's all-time single-game list, tying Randall Cobb (vs. Tennessee, Nov. 27, 2010).
• Roark's 116 receiving yards is the most for a Wildcat this season and the first time a UK wide receiver has eclipsed the 100-yard mark since La'Rod King earlier this season against Central Michigan.

Football: Danny Trevathan

• Senior linebacker Danny Trevathan, who ranks first in the SEC in tackles, tied a career-high with 17 tackles in the game. Trevathan has double-digit tackles in 15 of the last 17 games, dating back to last season.
• Trevathan's 17 tackle performance moves him up to 17th on Kentucky's all-time tackle list, passing Keith Martin (1980-83). Trevathan needs two tackles to tie Art Still (1974-77) for 16th all time.
• Trevathan earned an interception in the game, marking the second consecutive game he has recorded a pick. He becomes the first player to notch back-to-back games with picks since Winston Guy in 2010 against Auburn and South Carolina.

In just his third season as head coach of Kentucky women's soccer, Jon Lipsitz has helped lift the program to a banner season in 2011. The Wildcats (13-6-0, 6-5-0 Southeastern Conference) have won the most games overall and in SEC play of any UK team since 2006.

The Cats had high hopes for the season after doubling their 2009 win total in 2010, but Lipsitz doesn't mince words in saying he views this regular season as a success. Even so, the team is far from satisfied as it enters postseason play.

"If you had come to me on August 2, the first day of preseason, and said, 'You're going to be talking about going to Orange Beach, winning six games in the SEC and a No. 17 RPI, I would have taken it,' " Lipsitz said. "But we always want to do more, we always want to do better."

The postseason begins in Orange Beach, Ala., where UK will open the SEC Tournament against No. 20 Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Cats defeated the Lady Volunteers in a double-overtime affair by a score of 1-0, one of UK's signature regular season victories. Both teams figure to be focused and ready for the rematch, though Lipsitz can envision the game featuring more scoring this time around.

"They're a well-coached team by Coach (Angela) Kelly and a very dynamic attacking team," Lipsitz said. "The strange thing in our history is that the three games since I got here have all been 1-0. It doesn't make a lot of sense because both teams attack so much. I'd expect more like a 5-4 game when we play each other so we'll see what happens."

As Lipsitz referenced, the history between these two teams runs much deeper than the dramatic matchup in mid-October. In addition to three tight matches between UK and UT since he became a Wildcat, Lipsitz coached his former team, Charlotte, to a first round victory over the Lady Vols in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

"It's become quite the rivalry since I arrived," Lipsitz said. "I think it started even before that. My next to last game at Charlotte was the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Tennessee, so I think it started way back then and it's continued."

The NCAA Tournament is exactly what the Cats hope to reach this season. Ranked No. 17 in the RPI, UK is well positioned for a berth, though the Wildcats won't rest easy until they see "Kentucky" on the bracket.

"Next Monday those announcements will be made by the NCAA and we find out who we'll play and where," Lipsitz said. "Until we see there's nervousness there, but it would be pretty stunning for us not to be in the NCAA right now with where we are."

Over the past two seasons, the Cats have consistently stated a goal of reaching the SEC Tournament. They now find themselves in somewhat of a unique position with the NCAA's on the horizon as well. UK heads to Orange Beach intently focused on winning the SEC, but it would be foolish not to take the NCAA's into account as well.

"We're going there to win and there isn't a moment in our thoughts about anything else," Lipsitz said. "But when you know there is something coming you think about going a little deeper on your bench to preserve players who are dinged up at this time of year."

Dealing with an ankle she injured in the regular season finale against Vanderbilt, midfielder Danielle Krohn (ankle) is one of a handful of players who have bumps and bruises. UK will not be without any of those players, but Lipsitz does expect to rely more on the bench he has worked all season to develop than he otherwise might.

"They'll play against Tennessee," Lipsitz said, "but we're not going to play them 90 minutes and we shouldn't have to because we've been developing every player on the team so any player is ready at any moment."

With a few days off between the 4-2 win over Vanderbilt and the trip to Orange Beach, UK has had a chance to heal a bit. During that time, Lipsitz has taken a moment to stop and appreciate how far his team has come.

"We've done a lot, and I need to show that to the players," Lipsitz said. "I'm very happy with where we are even though we'll never be satisfied with where we are, but I'm very pleased with what we've done as a program."

The Wildcats have reached many of their goals in 2011, but they have set a new one: hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. UK's high RPI has them in position to potentially do that, but it's also going to take a strong performance in the SEC's to make it happen.

"They want to play at home," Lipsitz said. "They want to host in the NCAA's. Well, then they better show that against Tennessee."

Hunyadi, Gilliland earn SEC honors

On Monday, the SEC announced its 2011 women's soccer awards and a pair of Wildcats were recognized. Senior Kelsey Hunyadi and freshman Arin Gilliland were named second team All-SEC, becoming the 23rd and 24th players in school history to be named all-conference. Gilliland was also named to the All-Freshman team.

Hunyadi was in contention for first team honors, as she's had one of the best seasons in school history and assaulted the UK record book, but she'll settle for being a second teamer.

"She's having really an epic season in Kentucky women's soccer history," Lipsitz said. "She is third all-time in goals for a season; second in assists, one away from the record; and third in points. She's having an amazing season with some soccer left to be played."

Lipsitz was pleased to see two of his top players honored, especially since he knows the individual awards grow from what the team as a whole has accomplished.

"More importantly, these individual honors come from team success and we talk about that a lot," Lipsitz said. "The better the team does, the more individual honors that come."

Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes. These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, Oct. 23:

Swimming & diving: Megan Eppler

Eppler swam a 23.61 in the 50-freestyle, ranking third overall in the event, which was one of the best performances of the day for the UK women in their season-opening meet in Knoxville, Tenn., this weekend. Eppler also swam a career-best 51.27  in the 100-freestyle placing fourth in the event.

Football: Winston Guy

Led UK with 12 tackles, including two pass break-ups. It marked the sixth time this season and 10th time in his career he has had double-digit tackles. Guy now leads the SEC in tackles with 79.

Volleyball: Christine Hartmann

Junior setter Christine Hartmann had the best all-around performance of her career in leading the Wildcats to a pair of tough-road victories. Hartmann notched a double-double effort, her third of the season, with 39 assists and 10 digs in a win at Georgia. The Wildcats set a school-record with 20.5 blocks in the match, and Hartmann had six. In adding to her repertoire she also posted a career-high four aces in the victory. Hartmann's impressive dispersal of the ball aided UK to have four players with .300 hitting clips or better in the match. On Sunday, Hartmann's play only improved. The St. Charles, Ill., native totaled a career-high eight blocks while passing out a career-best 54 assists in a five-set victory. Hartmann found four different players for 13 or more kills with one more posting nine.

Women's soccer: Kelsey Hunyadi

Kelsey Hunyadi tallied her third career multi-goal game against Mississippi State, leading Kentucky to a win and clinching the Wildcats a berth in this year's SEC Tournament ... She attempted a school single-game record and career-high 11 shots against the Bulldogs in the victory ... It was her career-best fourth game-winning goal of the season ... Hunyadi netted her 11th goal of the season against the Rebels, it's the most goals by a Wildcat since the 2001 season and her 30 points on the season are also the most since by a UK player since 2001 ... Hunyadi has attempted 72 shots this season, second most in school history, 15 shy of the school record.

Volleyball: Stephanie Klefot

Junior Stephanie Klefot notched 43 digs on the weekend to become just the third player in UK history to post 1,200 digs in a career. The 26 scoops vs. Auburn are the most in an SEC match this season for UK's starting defensive stalwart. In the match with Georgia, she posted a match-high 17 digs to lead five different UK players in double-figures for digs. Klefot continues to provide a steady presence for the Blue and White has she has posted 10 or more digs in every SEC match this season and in 22-of-23 matches overall this year. Furthermore, Klefot was targeted a team-high 46 times on the service line and committed just one error for an impressive .978 clip.

Football: Offensive line

Did a fantastic job for Kentucky up front, allowing the Wildcats to rush for 340 yards, which is the most since UK had 341 against Vanderbilt last season. It also marked the second-consecutive game UK has not given up a sack.

Volleyball: Jackie Napper

Freshman Jackie Napper's presence in the back-row helped lead the Wildcats to a pair of road victories this weekend. Napper recorded the first back-to-back double-figure dig efforts of her career with 12 in a win at Georgia and an SEC career-high 13 against Auburn. Napper also registered her second career kill in the win at Georgia. Furthermore, Napper's steady play on the serve-receive line continues to be impressive. This week, Napper was targeted 42 times and committed just one error for an impressive .976 average. Her 2.78 digs per set ranked as the second-best total on the team, and the best for a non-libero. For her career, she has notched seven matches with 10 or more scoops.

Football: Martavius Neloms

Started the scoring for Kentucky, sacking the JSU quarterback, causing a fumble which he scooped up and returned 40 yards for a touchdown.  The fumble recovery for a TD in the first quarter was the first for UK since Ventrell Jenkins' 56-yard return vs. East Carolina in 2009 (Jan. 2). Ended the game with eight tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and a pass breakup.

Football: Morgan Newton

Rushed for a career-high 75 yards on 12 carries, including a touchdown run. Was also impressive in the passing game, throwing two touchdowns and going 10-for-16 on the day with 105 yards.

Swimming & diving: Tyler Reed

Placed first in the 100-freestyle posting a time of 45.24 seconds. The senior captain also placed well in the 200-freestyle with a time of 1:39.13. Reed swam the fastest split of any UK swimmer with a 20.04 split in the home stretch of the 200 medley relay in which Kentucky finished in third place.

Coming to the end of their SEC slate, Jon Lipsitz and the Kentucky women's soccer team traveled to Starkville, Miss., and picked up a big 2-0 win over Mississippi State. Senior Kelsey Hunyadi scored both the Wildcats' goals, marking the third multi-goal game of her career.

The victory was so crucial because of the race for the conference tournament going on in the SEC. Coming into the match, UK was seventh in the standings with MSU in eighth, meaning the Cats and Dogs were fighting for the final two spots in the tournament. The win moves UK to 5-4 in SEC play, tied with Tennessee in sixth and the Cats own a tiebreaker over the Lady Vols. 

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, UK's final two opponents of the regular season, are currently tied for last place. Wins over both would give UK a 7-4 record in conference and could position the Cats to be seeded high in Orange Beach, Ala., the site of the SEC Tournament.

Sunday's game against Ole Miss is the final home date of the season for the Cats. UK will be holding Senior Day festivities honoring Hunyadi, Kiondra McGee and Jenna Goblirsch. Come out to the UK Soccer Complex for the 1 p.m. game to send off the seniors and see the Cats continue their charge for the post-season.

Forward Kelsey Hunyadi has had a dazzling senior season. She has helped the Wildcats to an 11-5-0 record in 2011, leading the team with eight goals and eight assists. Her 24 total points rank sixth among all players in the SEC, establishing her as one of the conference's top players.

Now, it's not only the statistics that proclaim Hunyadi among the SEC's elite. TopDrawerSoccer.com has named the top 20 players in each conference throughout the nation and Hunyadi is rated as the league's 10th best player, seventh best in the SEC's Eastern Division.

TOPDRAWERSOCCER.COM'S WOMEN'S CONFERENCE TOP 20

Hunyadi and the Wildcats dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker on Sunday against the Georgia Bulldogs on Sunday, but they return to action Thursday night in Starkville, Miss., against Mississippi State. On Sunday, Hunyadi will be honored along with two classmates on Senior Day before the final home game of the season against Ole Miss.