Sept. 24, 2012

#25 TENNESSEE (9-4, 2-2) at KENTUCKY (7-6, 1-2)

Sept. 26, 2012 | 8:00 p.m. ET

Memorial Coliseum | Lexington, Ky.

UTSports.com

» Roster
» Season Stats
» Schedule
» Match Notes
» Twitter

Roster «
Season Stats «
Schedule «
Match Notes «
Twitter «

» TV: ESPNU
» Online: WatchESPN
» Radio: UK Tube
»

THE KENTUCKY MATCH

Wednesday night's match on ESPNU marks the 71st meeting in the storied Tennessee-Kentucky volleyball rivalry. Kentucky is the Lady Vols' most-played opponent. The teams have faced off at least once every year since 1977.
The Wildcats currently lead the series by a 41-29 margin in a series that has had its fair share of streaks. Most recently, the Big Orange has won six of the last seven matchups.
After losing in five in Lexington in early October, the Orange & White captured its first outright SEC title on the last night of the regular season with a four-frame win over the Wildcats last season.
This match marks the 29th meeting in Lexington, with UK currently leading the series 19-9 at home.

With UT down 31-9 in the series, head coach Rob Patrick entered his first season at Rocky Top in 1997. Since, the 16-year leader of the Lady Vols has posted an impressive 20-10 mark against Kentucky.
With this meeting marking the fourth straight year the teams have met on ESPNU, Tennessee currently holds a 2-1 record against Kentucky on the network.
The Lady Vols are seeking back-to-back SEC Championships, which they accomplished in 1981-82, and their seventh combined league title. In addition to 1981-82 and last season, UT won the 1984 and 2004 championship. The Orange & White also took home the 2004 SEC Tournament Title.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

The five-time SEC Champion Wildcats enter Wednesday's match with a 7-6 overall record and a 1-2 mark in league play. UK opened the season 3-0, but with a tough schedule, lost matches against Louisville, then-No. 17 Oregon, Oklahoma, then-No. 1 Nebraska and then-No. 13 Florida.
After being blanked by Florida at home in the opening week of conference action, Kentucky lost to LSU in five on Friday and beat league newcomer Texas A&M in five games on Sunday. Both matches were on the road.
Undoubtedly, the strength of the team is its size and the defensive presence it displays at the net. Kentucky is averaging 2.61 blocks per set, good for second in the SEC and 37th in the nation.
Anchoring that defense is junior middle blocker Alexandra Morgan. The 6-foot-1 player has a team-high 55 blocks on the year and ranks seventh in the conference with her 1.10 rejections per set average.
On the offensive side, it's a balanced attack that leads UK. The Wildcats have four players with over 100 kills. Leading the charge is Ashley Frazier, who has a team-best 159 kills and averages 3.18 per set.
Craig Skinner is in his eighth season at the helm of the Wildcats and has led the squad to seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Skinner is 165-71 at UK, including a 97-42 mark in SEC play.

VOLLEYBALL CENTRAL: #25 UT at Kentucky