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[COLOR=#000000][B][I][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Kentucky will play LSU and Arkansas in remaining two home matches of regular season[/FONT][/I][/B][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][B][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]LEXINGTON, Ky.[/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std] – The 16th-ranked Kentucky volleyball team plays its final two regular season home matches against Southeastern Conference opponents LSU and Arkansas this weekend. The Wildcats will begin the weekend hosting LSU at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and conclude with Arkansas at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday in Memorial Coliseum.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Kentucky enters this weekend’s matches with a 24-4 overall record and a 15-2 standing in SEC play, along with an 8-0 record in league matches played at home. UK’s first match of its final home stand is against SEC Western Division leader LSU who owns an 18-9 overall record and an 11-6 clip in league action.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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Kentucky returned home from a thrilling five-set performance at Ole Miss in its last action. Seniors Becky Pavan and Ann Armes, junior Ashley Frazier and sophomore Whitney Billings made tremendous offensive efforts to help the Wildcats return with two victories in their final two-match road swing last week.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Billings achieved a season-high 17 kills against Ole Miss. Frazier followed with 16. Armes (13) and Pavan (11) were the other UK players to reach double-figures in the dramatic victory. Junior setter Christine Hartmann also made major contributions to the offensive effort with a career-high 59 assists, while leading Kentucky to a .297 hitting percentage.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Defensively, junior Stephanie Klefot achieved a match-high 28 digs followed by 14 from Billings and 10 from freshman Jackie Napper. Billings accomplished a double-double in consecutive matches for the second time this season in wins over Ole Miss and Alabama.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Klefot leads the Wildcats and the SEC in digs with 494 which ranks among Kentucky’s top-10 all-time in a single season. Kentucky also leads the league in blocks with 2.48 per set after charting eight in a win over the Rebels.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]The Tigers currently lead the SEC Western Division and are paced by 3.54 kills per set from Madie Jones. As a unit the Tigers post 13.90 kills per frame and defensively chart 2.10 blocks per set led by Desiree Elliott’s 0.97.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Kentucky swept LSU in one of the team’s more impressive offensive performances of the season in the squads’ first matchup in Baton Rouge, La., in early October. [/FONT][COLOR=#222222][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]UK struck for 48 kills on a .385 hitting percentage in the win.[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#222222][FONT=Arial][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#222222][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Hartmann topped 40 assists for the third consecutive match with 41 dimes, while adding six kills of her own.[/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Freshman Lauren O’Conner led the offense with 13 kills on a career-best .545 hitting percentage. She posted 10 or more kills in back-to-back contests in wins over the Tigers and Arkansas.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Napper led a strong defensive effort with 10 digs in the win. It marked the first time in SEC play Napper has posted 10 or more scoops and marked the fifth time at that point in the season she had achieved the feat.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial Narrow MT Std]Frazier topped 10 or more kills for the third straight match with 10 in the win. Pavan chipped in with eight kills and six blocks. Billings continued to provide an exceptional all-around effort with six blocks, six kills and eight digs in the match.[/FONT][/COLOR]
