LEXINGTON, Ky. – Coming off an upset victory against No. 18 LSU last Sunday, the Kentucky volleyball team heads to Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday looking to avenge an early-season loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide when the two teams square off at 8 p.m. EDT in The CAVE. Live statistics will be available at ukathletics.com.
The Wildcats (16-5, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) are currently in second place in the SEC Eastern Division and rank in the top two of four of the league’s seven statistical categories. Kentucky is first in the league in blocks per game with 3.09. The Cats are second in the conference in hitting percentage, assists per game and kills per game.
Kentucky is 6-2 on the road this season, including a 3-1 mark in league action away from home.
“Our matches with Alabama are typically very exciting,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said. “There will be a lot of firepower on the court at all times. Our block and defense will need to step up on Friday night so that we can come away with the victory.”
Junior middle blocker Queen Nzenwa (Baltimore, Md.) ranks first in the league in hitting percentage (.418) and blocks (1.57/gm). Nzenwa ranks 10th and 13th nationally in those categories, respectively. Senior middle blocker Nicole Britenriker (Cincinnati, Ohio) is sixth in the SEC and tops on the squad with 3.78 kills per game, while sophomore setter Sarah Rumely (New Palestine, Ind.) ranks third in the conference in assists with 12.30 dishes per game.
The Wildcats and Crimson Tide meet for the 29th time in school history with Kentucky leading the all-time series 17-11. The two teams have split the last four meetings, including a 3-2 Alabama win in Memorial Coliseum in the first weekend of conference action this season.
Alabama enters Friday night’s match with a 10-9 record and a 7-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Crimson Tide managed just a 3-6 record heading into league action, but since have won seven of their last 10 matches to pull above the .500 mark at 10-9. Alabama is the league’s leader in digs, averaging 18.04 scoops per game, but the Crimson Tide have had a hard time stopping potent opposing offenses. Alabama ranks second-to-last in the conference in opponent hitting percentage by allowing foes to hit .219.
Senior middle blocker Crystal Hudson is a major force on both sides of the ball for the Crimson Tide. She leads the team in kills (4.11/gm), hitting percentage (.359) and blocks (1.05/gm), while also ranking second on the squad with 17 service aces. Hudson is fifth in the SEC in kills and hitting percentage.
Following Kentucky’s match at Alabama on Friday, the Wildcats prepare for a trip to Starkville, Miss., where they will face Mississippi State at 2 p.m. EDT Sunday in a match broadcast regionally by Fox Sports Net South.
Quick Notes and Milestones
Kentucky’s 16-5 start is its best through 21 matches since the 1993 squad went 20-1. The Wildcats’ seven SEC wins in 10 matches is also their most since 1993. Sophomore setter Sarah Rumely is quickly ascending up the school’s all-time career assists list. Rumely moved into sole possession of seventh place on the all-time list last Friday night and now has 2,460 career dishes. She needs 364 more assists to tie Ainsley Grimes (1993-96) for sixth place all-time on the list. Senior middle blocker Nicole Britenriker moved into an exclusive club when she recorded her 1,000th kill on Sept. 30 vs. Auburn. Britenriker now has 1,081 career put-downs and has posted double-digit kills in each of the team’s 21 matches this season. Junior middle blocker Queen Nzenwa needs just 32 more block assists to become the school’s all-time leader in that statistical category. Nzenwa now has 369 career block assists to currently rank second in that category. Lisa Bokovoy (1985-88) holds the record with 400 block assists. Freshman right-side hitter Lauren Rapp is a three-time Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week selection, ranking third on the team in blocks (1.11 bpg) and fourth in kills (2.44) and hitting percentage (.270). She is the first player in Kentucky volleyball history to claim the league’s Freshman of the Year award three times. Kentucky-Alabama Series Notes
Kentucky and Alabama meet for the 29th time in school history this weekend. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 17-11, but Alabama has won eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. Kentucky is looking for its first win in Tuscaloosa since the 1998 campaign. The Cats do lead the all-time series 8-5 when the game is played on Alabama’s home court. The Cats’ most success in the all-time series has come when the match concludes in four games or less. The Wildcats are 14-6 all-time vs. the Tide in matches that go four games or fewer, while Alabama is 5-3 in five-game matches.
