VB Preview: #14 Lady Vols at #24 Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the third time this season, Tennessee volleyball will take on a ranked opponent on the road, as the No. 14 Lady Vols face off against the 24th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m.
 
The match will be televised nationally on ESPN with Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Holly McPeak (analyst) on the call. A win Sunday would be Tennessee’s first victory against a ranked UK team since beating the No. 23 Wildcats, 3-1, on Nov. 23, 2016. It would also mark the first win in Lexington since Nov. 24, 2010, a 3-0 sweep for the Big Orange.
 
Fans interested in making the trip to Rupp Arena to watch the Lady Vols can purchase general admission tickets for $8 on Ticketmaster.
 
RACKHAM WATT ACHIEVES MAJOR MILESTONE

• In her sixth season on Rocky Top, head coach Eve Rackham Watt surpassed the 100-win milestone for her career after the Lady Vols beat Missouri on Wednesday night. She was the fastest coach in the modern era of Tennessee volleyball (since 1982) to achieve the feat.

 
BIG ORANGE ATTACK AMONG NATION’S ELITE GROUPS

• Tennessee’s attack has been stellar this season, and it’s the primary reason for the Lady Vols opening the year 10-1. UT ranks inside the top 10 nationally and leads the SEC in hitting percentage (3rd/.328), kills per set (4th/14.43) and assists per set (7th/13.24). With elite hitters leading the way, the group continues to get better with the development of redshirt freshman setter Caroline Kerr.

 
FINGALL NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• For the second time in her career, Morgahn Fingall was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on Sept. 12 after averaging 6.57 points per set and 5.71 kills per set—both of which led the SEC—while hitting .421 in wins over Loyola and No. 24 Marquette.

 
HIGHEST RANKING SINCE 2012

• Tennessee moved up to 14th in the AVCA rankings this week. That marks the highest ranking for the Lady Vols since being No. 14 during the Week 2 poll in 2012.

 
KERR TABBED SEC PLAYER & FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

• For the second week in a row, the SEC Player of the Week hailed from Rocky Top, as Tennessee’s Caroline Kerr earned the top conference honor along with SEC Freshman of the Week. This marked the third week in a row in which Kerr received conference honors, winning SEC Setter of the Week last Monday and SEC Freshman of the Week two weeks ago. She ranked second in the SEC with 11.00 assists per set for the week to help…