No. 5 Gators Face No. 15 Kentucky In Critical Top-15 Showdown
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | Volleyball
| GATOR MATCH-DAY VS. KENTUCKY | |
| FLORIDA | KENTUCKY |
The No. 5/5 University of Florida volleyball team meets the No. 15/16 Kentucky Wildcats in a critical top-15 battle this Friday. It is an important match-up that will set the early tone in the 2009 Southeastern Conference race. Opening serve is slated for 7 p.m. ET in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center and the match will be carried live on ROCK 104 FM with Tom Collett and Missy Whittemore.
Friday's match is Gators GO GREEN Night in the O'Connell Center. In coordination with the Alachua County Library, fans can donate two like-new children's books and receive free admission to the match. All books will be donated locally to the United Way's Success By Six program. Also, in conjunction with the University of Florida's Office of Sustainability and Neutral Gator, fans will learn how to go green and reduce their Carbon Footprint. All fans are encouraged to take alternative transportation to the match. The first 100 fans that ride their bikes to the match will receive a Gator reusable shopping bag.
For more information on these efforts and to learn how Neutral Gator is helping offset the 2009-2010 athletic season's carbon footprint, log on to NeutralGator.org or Sustainable.ufl.edu. Fans will also have the opportunity to learn more about both these programs at the “Green Hut” and Neutral Gator's informational table.
As part of these efforts, Publix will be handing out Reusable Shopping Bags to the first 1,000 fans. They will also hand out information on Green initiatives courtesy of Publix Supermarkets.
Friday's match also is Alachua and Newberry Night. All residents of those two cities who present a valid driver's license with a residential address from one of those two cities at the marketing table outside Gate 1 will receive a free admission pass into the match. Children 17 and under receive free admission to all regular-season home matches.
The Gators (10-1, 4-0 SEC) have posted three consecutive SEC sweeps heading into Friday's match and enter the contest with a 21-match home-winning streak dating back to August 2008.
“These next two weeks may be the toughest four SEC matches we've ever played in a row,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “We're hoping that this weekend we will have great crowds in the O'Connell Center, both Friday and Sunday. Kentucky is ranked and undefeated in the SEC. They've played a really good schedule. They're led by last year's SEC Player of the Year in their setter [Sarah Rumely], who is a four-year starter who plays with a lot of energy. They run a 5-1 offense and she's surrounded by players who can get kills out of all different positions.”
Florida is led by sophomore outside hitter Colleen Ward (Naperville, Ill.), who ranks fourth in the SEC in kills per set, averaging 3.54 put-downs per frame. Sophomore outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) follows with 3.05 kills per set, while sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) chips in 2.83 kills per set.
Senior libero Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) on Sunday became the first player in school history and just the third person in SEC annals to eclipse the 1,800-dig mark for her career. Cusack now has 1,808 career digs and currently ranks third in the SEC this season with 4.24 digs per set.
Sophomore middle blocker Cassandra Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif.) is averaging 1.17 blocks per set, which ranks third in the SEC. This season, she has either led or tied for the team lead in blocks in 10 of the team's 11 matches.
The Gators enter Friday's match ranked 11th in the nation in hitting percentage with a .285 team clip, led by Anderson's .312 efficiency.
In conference matches only, Florida leads the SEC in hitting percentage (.324), hitting percentage defense (.106), kills per set (15.07) and assists per set (14.14).
The Gators and Wildcats meet for the 49th time in the history of the two programs – Florida's second-longest rivalry in program history - with UF holding a 40-8 advantage in the all-time series since 1984. UF is 38-1 all-time in the series under Wise's direction.
Florida will face its third ranked opponent of the 2009 season on Friday. The Gators are 1-1 this season against ranked foes, after having defeated No. 11 Stanford and having lost to No. 3 Washington. UF went 3-3 in 2008 against teams ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association top-25 at the time of the match. The Gators are 92-75 (.551) all-time vs. ranked opponents.
Kentucky enters Friday's match with a 13-1 overall record and a 3-0 mark in SEC play. In all matches combined, the Wildcats lead the league in hitting percentage (.292), kills per set (14.84) and assists per set (13.72).
The Cats rank fifth in the nation in assists per set (13.72), led by the reigning SEC Player of the Year in senior Sarah Rumely. Rumely ranks seventh in NCAA Division-I volleyball with a league-leading 11.86 assists per set.
Kentucky also is seventh in the nation in hitting percentage with a .292 efficiency and are led by three players in the SEC's top-10 in that category. Sophomore middle blocker Gretchen Geisler is hitting at an SEC-leading .381 clip, while junior middle blocker/right-side Lauren Rapp hits .331 and sophomore middle blocker Becky Pavan has a .326 efficiency.
UK's junior outside hitter Sarah Mendoza ranks third in the SEC in kills per set with 4.18 put-downs per set, while senior libero BriAnne Sauer is eighth in the league in digs per set with 3.88.
Complete results and a recap of Friday's match will be available at www.GatorZone.com.
For all of the latest information on Florida Volleyball, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/volleyball. Follow the Gators on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorZoneVB and Coach Mary Wise on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorMary.
The University of Florida is home to the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Regional. For ticket information, log on to www.GatorZone.com/tickets.
QUICK NOTES
- The Gators and Wildcats meet for the 49th time in the history of the two programs with Florida holding a 40-8 advantage in the all-time series since 1984. UF is 38-1 all-time in the series under the direction of Mary Wise.
- UF's rivalry with Kentucky is the second-longest in program history. The two teams will meet for the 49th time on Friday night. Georgia (56 meetings) is the only team Florida has faced more than Kentucky in its history.
- Florida's 588 wins since 1991 are the most of any team in the nation during that time period.
- Senior libero Elyse Cusack is the school's all-time digs leader with 1,808 career scoops and ranks third all-time in SEC history for career digs. She is the first Florida player to achieve 1,800 career digs.
- Sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy has two triple-doubles this season to lead the SEC and holds the Florida career record in that category with eight.
- Junior Florida outside hitter Callie Rivers and junior Kentucky outside hitter Sarah Mendoza were high school teammates at Winter Park High School and both played for the Orlando Volleyball Academy.
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