The University of Kentucky volleyball team will look to get back on the winning track when they travel to Baton Rouge for a showdown with the LSU Tigers on Friday, October 6, at 8 p.m. ET at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

UK (4-10, 2-1 SEC) is coming off an 0-2 road trip last weekend and desperately needs a victory to keep pace with Florida and South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. The Cats are working to improve upon the slow starts they have been experiencing in conference play.

"We did not come out ready to play in our last SEC game against South Carolina, and it showed," said coach Jona Braden. "Playing well in the first game is crucial because it will give our team confidence throughout the entire match." LSU (6-7, 1-2 SEC) lost its most recent match last Sunday 3-1 to Alabama. The Tigers rely on the trio of Meagan Davis, Meghan Bedford and Jennifer Hampton to provide their offensive firepower.

Davis leads the team with 3.24 kills per game and a .372 hitting percentage which ranks fifth in the SEC. Bedford and Hampton are averaging 2.93 and 2.87 kills per game, respectively. In addition, Hamptons average of 3.35 digs per game ranks her second in the conference.

In order for the Cats to pull the upset, they must do a good job of defending the Tigers offensive attack. Defensive specialists Aleisha Craven and Candace Cogan will have to continue their solid play and UK will need another strong performance from setter Whitney Sample. Sample posted her second-career double-double with 45 assists and a career-high 17 digs last Sunday against NC State.

Friday will mark the lone meeting between UK and LSU this season, barring a post-season match-up in the SEC tournament. UK holds a commanding 19-4 lead in the overall series. The Tigers took last years contest with a 3-1 victory in Memorial Coliseum.