UK, WKU volleyball teams both earn right to host NCAA Tournament matches
The NCAA volleyball tournament field includes four teams from Kentucky and two were chosen as top-16 seeds and will host first- and second-round matchups this week.
Kentucky earned the No. 9 overall seed and will open play in Memorial Coliseum on Friday night against Southeast Missouri. The other matchup in Lexington will have Northern Kentucky facing Michigan. The winners of those matches will meet on Saturday night.
“You’re just always honored to get the chance to host an NCAA Tournament,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said, according to a news release by the school. “You get to the beginning of the year and there’s expectations because of where you are seeded and ranked, but it’s really hard to go through a season and do what you do and give yourself the best chance to do it so, just honored to have the chance to get after it with this team and a chance to do it on our home floor.”
Kentucky earned its seeding by winning the Southeastern Conference for the third year in a row, and concluding the season with a 23-6 overall record including 16-2 in the SEC. Former Paul Laurence Dunbar standout Leah Edmond was named the SEC Player of the Year earlier on Sunday and junior Gabby Curry was named the 2019 SEC Libero of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Southeast Missouri is 23-10 overall and was 12-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference before going on to win the league tournament with a 3-0 sweep against Morehead State.
Michigan is 20-10 overall and was 13-7 in the Big Ten Conference, with its last win coming against Indiana, 3-1. The Wolverines earned an at-large bid from the NCAA Selection Committee. Northern Kentucky has a 19-12 overall record and was 9-7 in Horizon League play. The Norse won the Horizon League Tournament championship for the first time, defeating Milwaukee 3-0.
Tickets for the first and second rounds can be found online at UKathletics.com/NCAATickets. Tickets went on sale to the general public Monday for all-session tickets, and 9 a.m. Wednesday is when single-session tickets will be available.
WKU’s at home, too
Western Kentucky is the tournament’s No. 15 overall seed and will host NCAA Tournament matches for the first time.
The Hilltoppers’ first-round opponent in Diddle Arena on Thursday is Kennesaw State. Louisville and Samford will also play in Bowling Green, and the winners of those matches will meet up in the second round Friday.
WKU finished with a 31-1 record along with the Conference USA regular-season and tournament championships.
Kennesaw State is 22-8, including a 13-3 mark in league play, and earned the ASUN’s automatic bid.
Louisville enters NCAA play at 19-9 overall, including a 12-6 mark in ACC play. The Cardinals earned an at-large bid and are the team responsible for Western Kentucky’s only loss this season. Samford earned the automatic bid out of the Southern Conference after winning the league’s tournament. The Bulldogs are 24-5 record and were 15-1 in league play.
Tickets for the matches in Bowling Green can be purchased via WKU’s website.
NCAA Tournament
At Lexington
Friday’s first round: Northern Kentucky vs. Michigan, 5 p.m. ET; Southeast Missouri vs. Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday’s second round: First-round winners, 7 p.m. ET
At Bowling Green
Thursday’s first round: Samford vs. Louisville, 5 p.m. CT; WKU vs. Kennesaw State, 7 p.m. CT
Friday’s second round: First-round winners, 7 p.m. CT
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 10:58 PM.