Cards take match in five long games
By Jay G. Tate
Staff Writer
There's something to be said for a quick start.There's even more to be said for a quick finish.The UK volleyball team got the start, but it was U of L who had the finish as the No. 17 Louisville Cardinals came from behind to beat the Cats 9-15, 12-15, 15-4, 15-11, 15-6 at Memorial Coliseum last night.
Big Blue came out like a team on a mission, blazing to a 2-0 game lead and making the feat look easy in the process. They had jumped all over the Cardinals and seemed ready to steal one from a team considered by many as one of the better teams in the country.
During the early stages, the Cats were firing on all cylinders, hitting .243 as a team and finding ways to stymie the U of L offense.
But the Cats fell behind in the third game and eventually conceded it 4-15. Although UK fought hard in an 11-15 fourth-game loss, Louisville was in control after the second game.
"We played very well in the first two games," UK outside hitter LaTanya Webb said. "But we lost focus - like we usually do."
The scene looked all too familiar to UK fans. Early in the season, the Cats lacked the ability to finish matches - a trait that turned prospective wins into losses. Since those early matches, UK seemed to have fixed the problem, going 7-3 over the past month.
However, Big Blue reverted back into its old habits and let one get away.
"It would've been different if they had come out and whipped us," UK outside hitter Gina Heustis said. "But we were playing so well and then we just absolutely let them have (the win)."
Heustis, a Louisville native, played well despite getting an inordinate number of swings.
"I'm glad the team has that kind of confidence in me," Heustis said of her prominent offensive role. "If they'll set me eighty or ninety times, I'll keep swinging."
Louisville's Jackie Byrne, among NCAA leaders in hitting, validated her statistical prowess with a .450 hitting performance that yielded 22 kills. U of L also got a big match out of Russian super-hitter Sonia Gubaidulina, who torched the Cats with an eye-popping 32 kills.
Despite the loss, UK assistant coach Julie Ibieta believes the match was a positive for her team.
"The first two games were easily the best volleyball we've played all year," Ibieta said. "Even though we couldn't maintain our focus, we're happy we were able to play that well."
The loss slips the Cats to 9-13 on the season, but Webb still is optimistic about the team's future.
"We had a lot of intensity early on," Webb said. "If we can pick it up and play like we did in those first two games, we can definitely get into the finals of the SEC tournament."
The Cats now prepare to square off against Alabama and Auburn this weekend.
Photo: SPIKE IT UK's LaTanya Webb goes up for the kill against Louisville last night at Memorial Coliseum. JAMES CRISP Kernel staff
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