MATCH NOTES
THE SEC: A CHANCE TO WIN IT OUTRIGHT
SUNDAY
NCAA Selection Show /// 6:00 p.m. ET /// ESPNU
2011 RECORD
[ NOV. 23 /// THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA /// KNOXVILLE, TENN. ]
WEDNESDAY vs. #16 Kentucky [26-4, 17-2] /// 7:00 p.m. ET
TO NOTE... IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS
KENTUCKY AT A QUICK GLANCE
Tennessee swept past Arkansas and LSU this past weekend to secure its fifth SEC Championship in program history. With the two wins, Tennessee claimed at least a share of the SEC crown, but a victory on Wednesday over Kentucky would give the Big Orange its first outright regular-season league title. Tennessee has now won 11-straight matches, six of which have come on the road. Entering Wednesday, UT is a perfect 12-0 at home. Last year, Tennessee won all but two home SEC matches in the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena.
Prior to its loss at Kentucky in October, Tennessee had defeated the Wildcats in five consecutive matches, including downing UK on ESPNU a year ago in Knoxville. Prior to UT winning the last five of six matches versus the Wildcats, Kentucky defeated the Big Orange in five straight, spanning from 2006-08. This season Kentucky has dropped a pair of conference matches, both on the road, to Florida and Mississippi State.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Entering the weekend with a one-game lead in the Southeastern Conference, the No. 15 University of Tennessee Lady Vol volleyball team clinched at least a share of the SEC title with a pair of victories over Arkansas and LSU at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Lady Vols (26-3, 18-1) have now won 11straight matches for the second time this season, which ties for the fourth longest streak in UT history. Friday, the Big Orange swept Arkansas, 25-21, 2517, 25-21, as the squad hit .352 overall, while holding Arkansas to just a .149 percentage. Sophomore Kelsey Robinson and junior Leslie Cikra each tallied double digits in kills, while Cikra and fellow junior DeeDee Harrison hit over .500 in the match. Two days later, the Orange and White registered their 13th sweep of the year, defeating LSU 25-19, 25-18, 25-15. Robinson registered her conferenceleading 20th double-double, recording team highs in kills (16) and digs (13). Five Lady Vols hit .300 or better versus LSU, as the team hit at a clip of .415. For the weekend, freshman setter Mary Pollmiller assisted in 87 of UT’s 92 kills. Harrison and freshman Tiffany Baker were forces on defense, as Harrison tallied 11 blocks against the weekend opponents, while Baker added nine.
Kentucky 2011 Record: 26-4 (17-2 SEC) All-Time Series Record: UK leads 40-28 Patrick’s Record Against UK: 19-10 Last 10 Meetings: Series tied 5-5 The Last Two Meetings: 10/12/11 (Lexington, Ky.): Kentucky def. Tennessee, 3-2 (26-24, 24-26, 25-20, 24-26, 15-13) 11/24/10 (Lexington, Ky.): Tennessee def. Kentucky 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-21)
THE SEC (HISTORICALLY SPEAKING) Tennessee has won at least 15 SEC matches each of the last four seasons, as the Big Orange already tallied 18 conference wins this year with one match remaining. With its 18th regular-season SEC victory last weekend, the team shattered its record for most conference wins, which was previously set in 2009 at 16. Rob Patrick is 162-91 in his career in the SEC. In 13 of his 15 seasons, he led the Lady Vols to a .500 or better record against the conference. In 2004, Tennessee stormed through the league with a 15-1 record, tying for first in the SEC and winning the Conference Tournament a week later.
CONTACT BOX /// MEDIA RELATIONS INFORMATION
OVERALL RECORD: 26-3 SEC NON-CONFERENCE HOME AWAY NEUTRAL
MATT MAGILL
Graduate Assistant Email: tmounce@utk.edu Office: 865.974.0311 Cell: 330.718.6040
Student Assistant Media Contact Email: mmagill1@utk.edu
18-1 8-2 12-0 11-2 3-1
2011 SEASON SCHEDULE AUGUST
Comcast Lady Vol Classic 26 27
Ohio Villanova Maryland
W, 3-2 W, 3-0 W, 3-2
SEPTEMBER
Illinois State Farm Classic Champaign, Ill. 2 @ #7 Illinois 3 vs. #21 Dayton vs. Houston
L, 1-3 W, 3-2 L, 2-3
Virginia Tech Invitational Blacksburg, Va. 9 10
vs. Seton Hall vs. American @ Virginia Tech
W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-1
16 18 23 25 30
Georgia * Auburn * @ South Carolina * @ #6 Florida @ LSU *
W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-1 W, 3-2 W, 3-1
OCTOBER 2 7 9 12 16 21 23 28 30
@ Arkansas * Alabama * Mississippi @ #25 Kentucky * @ Mississippi State * @ Auburn * @ Georgia * #13 Florida * South Carolina *
W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-2 L, 2-3 W, 3-0 W, 3-1 W, 3-1 W, 3-1 W, 3-0
NOVEMBER 2 6 11 13 18 20 23
@ Louisville Mississippi State * @ Mississippi @ Alabama * Arkansas * LSU * Kentucky *
>> * SEC match
TODD MOUNCE
2011
TENNESSEE /// LADY VOLUNTEERS VOLLEYBALL
W, 3-0 W, 3-1 W, 3-2 W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-0 7 p.m. ET