Sept. 21, 2008

Box Score

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky used a suffocating offense hitting a season-high .405 for the match as they took a 3-0 win over Mississippi State, Sunday at Memorial Coliseum. With the win, Kentucky has now won eight straight matches for the first time since 1993. Additionally, UK's 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-8) victory gives them back-to-back sweeps of SEC opponents to open conference play for the first time since they swept their first two opponents in 1989.

It was a total team effort for Kentucky (11-2, 2-0) which saw eight different players record a kill. Sophomore Sarah Mendoza led the way again for the Cats with 14 kills on .423 hitting and a team-high 15.5 points. Senior Queen Nzenwa added six kills on a team-high .667 percentage while also recording three blocks. Junior Sarah Rumely chipped in with five kills and a team-high five blocks to go along with 28 assists. Kentucky's defensive effort at the net was another major factor as the Bulldogs (5-8, 0-2) attacked with only a .010 clip and tallied 23 hitting errors.

"I'm pleased with the way we have been blocking," said Craig Skinner. "We spend a lot of time working on it. We are a physical team at the net which is demoralizing to the opponent. Blocking is definitely a strength of ours."

Kentucky dominated the match from start to finish never letting up en route to extending their 35-1 overall record against Mississippi State.

The Wildcats took the lead at 10-9 in the first set and never looked back. Mendoza put down six kills in the frame on a .500 hitting percentage. Freshman Becky Pavan laid down a serving ace to make the score 12-10 beginning a UK run. Nzenwa added a kill and Mississippi State answered with a kill of their own. But, UK retaliated with another Nzenwa hammer and then back-to-back block assists off the arms of the senior from Baltimore and Rumely giving UK complete momentum. The set ended on a pair of Mississippi State errors when they sent an attack past the end line and then served the ball into the net to end the set at 25-16.

Mendoza paced the attack again in the second set with another six kills. Freshman Ann Armes tallied three kills in the frame, while Rumely and sophomore Lauren Rapp pitched in with a pair each. The Wildcats got off to a quick start taking a 7-0 lead which began with a powerful kill by Rapp. Rumely and Mendoza got in on the quick start each tallying a kill, and then Rumely and Nzenwa teamed up for another block. The score got as close as 13-8, but another Rapp kill ended the Bulldog run. Kentucky ended the set on back-to-back hammers from Pavan and Armes to take the set 25-16.

Kentucky's defense was incredible in their 25-8 third set victory tallying four and a half blocks, while holding Mississippi State to a -.161 hitting percentage. UK's offense was equally impressive with a match-high .565 hitting percentage and eight players getting in on the action laying down a kill. No UK player who recorded a kill hit lower than .400 in the frame.

"We continued to put pressure on Mississippi State and forced them to make some errors," Skinner said. "I liked how the team never let up and kept putting the hammer down, that shows how mature our team is."

With today's 3-0 win combined with the sweep of Alabama on Friday night it was the first time UK claimed opening weekend sweeps in the conference since Kathy DeBoer was on the sideline for the Blue and White. Coincidentally, DeBoer was in attendance in today's match serving as the color commentator for the live telecast by the Big Blue Sports Network.

Kentucky will take their eight-match winning streak on the road next weekend. The Wildcats will be on the road for a three-match string beginning with Georgia on Friday, Sept. 26. UK will then travel to LSU on Sunday before heading to Knoxville to take on Tennessee the following Wednesday.

Follow along with the Cats on UKathletics.com all season long for the most up to date information, stats and releases.

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