Media releases from UK sports information on UK volleyball, soccer, women’s clinic for men’s basketball and baseball.
UK volleyball opens at FSU tourney on Friday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky volleyball team will officially begin its quest for an unprecedented seventh consecutive run to the NCAA Tournament with a round-robin tournament on the campus of Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., Friday and Saturday. UK is set to take on Albany, Florida State and No. 23 Tulsa in the opening weekend of competition.
“It’s that time of the year when players are really amped up to begin playing some matches, and our team is no exception,” UK coach Craig Skinner said. “We’ve made a good deal of progress during preseason and we’re looking forward to a great weekend ahead of us.”
Skinner has led the Wildcats to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments. It is a feat only 17 other teams in the nation have achieved in that same six-year span. The Blue and White return four starters from a 17-win team a season ago, along with the reigning Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year in Stephanie Klefot.
UK opens with Albany at 11 a.m. ET Friday morning, before taking on the host Seminoles at 7 p.m. later that evening. Kentucky’s opening weekend is capped off by a 1:30 p.m. ET matchup with Tulsa Saturday.
Men’s soccer opens with Dayton on Friday
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A year removed from a third-place finish in Conference USA, the Kentucky men’s soccer team opens its 21st all-time season with the campaign lidlifter, hosting Dayton on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.
The Wildcats will host Dayton in its season opener on Friday, as part of a twinbill with the UK women’s soccer program. The women will host Ohio at 5 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex, before the men’s program welcomes Dayton at 7:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be available through live video, a live interactive blog and complete post-game coverage on UKathletics.com.
Kentucky owns an 11-8-1 all-time record in season openers, dating back to UK’s first season as a varsity sport in 1991. In those 20 previous season openers, UK has outscored its opposition 39-24.
The game will also mark an opportunity for UK head coach Ian Collins to secure his 200th career win. In his 19th year as UK’s head coach, Collins has totaled a 199-154-45 career record overall and a 188-123-36 record with UK. Collins helped form the Wildcats into the powerhouse of the Mid-American Conference, before ushering UK’s transition into C-USA. Since joining the league, UK has totaled the second-most wins in the conference, advancing to each league tournament.
UK returns a bevy of talent, including 2011 preseason All-Conference USA selections Dylan Asher and Matt Lodge. In addition to Asher and Lodge – a pair of freshmen All-America selections – UK returns all-conference performers Tyler Riggs, C.J. Tappel, Tyler Beadle and Brad Walker. UK will welcome some immediate impact talents in 2011, including midfielder Josh Mulvany, and Brazilian talents Pedro Andreoni and Gabriel Conelian.
Lodge has led UK in points since arriving on campus from Rossington, England in 2009, totaling six goals and two assists as a freshman, before notching four goals and three assists in 2010. Riggs, a native of Louisville, Ky., charted a team-high five goals in his collegiate debut season, while Beadle earned All-Conference USA accolades in goal as a freshman in 2010, saving 63 shots and posting a 1.30 goals-against average.
UK women’s soccer plays host to Ohio
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The UK women’s soccer team (2-0-0) looks to extend their two-game winning streak to open the season on Friday, hosting the Ohio Bobcats (1-1-0) in a 5:00 p.m. ET match at the UK Soccer Complex.
Kentucky is looking to open the season 3-0-0 for the second straight time. Kentucky’s best start to a season was in 2001 when the Wildcats won their first seven out of the gate.
UK’s longest undefeated streak to start a season was in 2005, when the Cats didn’t lose until the 12th game of the season. However, they did play to six ties during that stretch.
Four Wildcats have found the back of the net so far this season including team leader Kelsey Hunyadi who has a team-high two goals. The senior captain also leads the team, and the Southeastern Conference, with 10 shots.
Kentucky and Ohio meet for the fourth time with UK holding a 3-0-0 advantage. The two schools haven’t met since the 2007 season, but the Wildcats have totaled three or more goals in each of the three previous match-ups.
The Bobcats are playing away from home for the first time this season, having lost to Wright State, 1-0, in their season-opener before rebounding with a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh.
The game will be the first of a soccer double-header at the UK Soccer Complex. Following the UK-Ohio match, the UK men’s team will be in action, hosting Dayton at 7:30 p.m.
Live stats will be available at UKathletics.com and a live stream of the match can be seen at UKathletics.com/allaccess.
UK men’s basketball announces women’s clinic
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball has announced the date and times for the 2011 Women’s Clinic.
Designed for women with all levels of basketball knowledge, the clinic is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 2, at 4:00 p.m. ET. Attendees will learn the Dribble Drive Motion offense and get a tour of the Cats’ state-of-the-art practice facility. There will also be scheduled presentations that include behind-the-scenes looks at UK video, strength and conditioning and sports injury/rehabilitation lectures, as well as a Q&A with Coach Calipari, staff and current players.
Included in this year’s clinic will be full involvement by the entire 2011-12 roster and also more interaction with the participants (at own risk).
The clinic represents the first time this season the public will have an opportunity to see the entire 2011-12 roster.
Registration for the women’s clinic will be from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 2nd in the Joe Craft Center. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable attire.
There cannot be any recruitable age participants at the women’s clinic. Any person entering 7th -12th grade, junior college, or prep school will not be allowed to register or attend.
Registration is available at www.ukathletics.com/camps. For more information, please contact the Kentucky Basketball office at 800.852.2875 or 859.257.1916.
Gott named to summer collegiate All-America team
LEXINGTON, Ky. — After dominating in the Cape Cod League as the top closer on the circuit, Kentucky sophomore right-hander Trevor Gott has been tabbed a first-team Perfect Game Summer Collegiate All-America honoree, it was announced.
A native of Lexington, Ky., Gott emerged as the top reliever in the prospect-laden CCBL after pacing the league with 13 saves in 13 chances during the regular-season. Gott appeared in 18 games in the regular-season during the summer for Orleans, posting a 1.29 ERA with 12 saves in 21 innings. Gott allowed only four walks and 14 hits during the regular-season, also picking up the save in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game, played at Fenway Park on July 29.
Perfect Game put Gott as one of two relievers on the Summer Collegiate All-America team, along with Eastern Kentucky right-hander Anthony Bazzani, who pitched in the Northwoods League during the summer.
The Gatorade Kentucky High School Player of the Year made 23 appearances with two saves, coming against the blistering hot Utah Utes and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Overall as a freshman, Gott totaled a 2-4 record and a 3.62 ERA, striking out 34 in 27.1 innings. Without two bad relief outings late in his freshman campaign, Gott was dominating, posting a 2-3 record and a 1.38 ERA with two saves.
