Wildcats host Lady Vols for opening SEC series this weekend at Memorial Coliseum
LEXINGTON – October 15, 2020
The No. 3 Kentucky Volleyball team will take to the court for competition for the first time in the 2020-21 season this weekend, as it hosts the Tennessee Lady Vols on Friday and Saturday night inside Memorial Coliseum.
Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. ET with Friday’s opening night match broadcasted live on the SEC Network and the ESPN app. The SEC Network+ will carry UK’s match vs. Tennessee on Saturday night along with the ESPN app.
The Wildcats will be playing an eight-match conference-only schedule in the fall of 2020, before a continuation of the season picks up in the spring ahead of the April 23-25 NCAA Volleyball Championships, which have been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UK will play four opponents on back-to-back nights in the fall to make up the eight matches, with all eight counting towards the 2020-21 Southeastern Conference championship.
Kentucky will be entering the 16th season under the tutelage of head coach Craig Skinner this year. The Wildcats were picked to win the SEC by the league coaches, winning 11 of the 13 first-place votes. UK will be exciting to watch, as the Wildcats return All-Americans Gabby Curry, Alli Stumler and Madison Lilley to go alongside the No. 1 recruiting class in the country – something UK achieved for the first time in program history last spring.
In addition to essential personnel required to conduct the contests, UK volleyball will adopt a player-guest and coach-guest model, meaning no ticket options will be made available to the public at this time. UK Athletics will continue to evaluate the attendance plan, with consideration to the capacity of Memorial Coliseum, as the season progresses. Player and coach guests attending UK volleyball matches should expect a scope of game day changes, including all tickets being administered via a pass list. Full changes can be found on the Gameday Website, which can be referenced throughout the season.
Friday night, UK will be hosting a “Night of Champions” on Friday night at Memorial Coliseum, as it celebrates the third of its back-to-back-to-back Southeastern Conference championships that was earned in 2019. Prior to the match, UK will be doing a virtual banner unveiling, and fans can get involved by downloading their own phone wallpapers celebrating the 2019 SEC Championship. Fans in-venue will be treated to a night full of surprises, including seeing how the Wildcats were given their title rings and other celebratory events.
Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend at UKathletics.com, and additionally live in-match updates can be found on the Kentucky Volleyball Twitter account, @KentuckyVB.