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  • Kentucky prepares to face Western Kentucky in NCAA 2nd round match

    by
    Darrell KSR
    Published on 12-02-2017 05:48 PM
    2 Comments Comments
    By LARRY VAUGHT


    Leah Edmond, left (Vicky Graff Photo)

    Freshman Madison Lilley had a simple plan to get ready for tonight's NCAA Tournament second-round match against Western Kentucky.

    "Sleep and eat and drink some water. That is my agenda," Lilley said after helping UK sweep East Tennessee State in Friday's first round match at UK. "Basically, just reset and do it all over again tomorrow. You have to reset and focus on another game."

    Sophomore Leah Edmond told her freshmen teammates to "relax and have fun" in the NCAA without getting nervous.

    "Try to treat it like any other game, a normal game and go out there and play your hardest and that is about all I can tell them. They have to go out there and play," Edmond said.

    Kentucky beat Western Kentucky early in the season, a match Edmond remembers.

    "Definitely their whole team has improved and their defense is really incredible. It was nice to watch. So, it will be a nice battle between our offense and their defense tomorrow," Edmond said Friday.

    Kentucky coach Craig Skinner, who got his 300th win Friday, isn't worried about the quick turnaround for his young team as UK tries to get to the Final Four for the first time.

    "I’m glad we’re playing tomorrow to be honest with you. I think we’ve got three sets under our belt. We’ve had a couple good practices in a row and each time we get out there and play is another chance to improve something and I think that’s kind of been our mantra all year," Skinner said after Friday's win. "You know, it’s something that I think will benefit us. Now, obviously our opponent might have something to say about that but I’m excited to turnaround and play, to wait, I’d rather not have.

    "I think we have a lot left. I told the team in the locker room. Western is a great team. They’ve had a lot of great wins and they’re going to battle and compete, so it’s going to be a great match."

    Western has lost only three matches this season and swept Notre Dame in Friday's first NCAA match. Skinner expects a "great" challenge from the Hilltoppers.

    "Western Kentucky doesn’t win 90 percent of their games because it’s luck. I mean they’re very skilled, they’re very talented on defense and yes their offensive percentage is impressive, but they’ve been really known as a great defensive team and they train well, they train hard, they’re well coached and they recruit the right kids to fill the system that they run," Craig Skinner said. "I’m certainly not surprised by their performance tonight and I’m looking forward to a great match for the volleyball community tonight and our state.”

    Skinner says both teams are different from the first match UK won when both teams had key players not playing.

    "As a coach and a team, you don’t ever take history as what’s going to happen in the future. Western Kentucky had a great year. We had a great year and tomorrow is another opportunity to step on the floor and lace them up and go," Skinner said.
    Comments 2 Comments
    1. PedroDaGr8's Avatar
      PedroDaGr8 - 12-02-2017, 08:55 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by CitizenBBN View Post
      I need to check again. We were on Insight then it went to Time Warner, and then Spectrum. I don't know if we ended up falling under the old deal or not, but I think that's the problem. I think I tried it again after the switch and it didn't work, I haven't checked since. I use a bootleg feed of the basketball/football games and that works, the rest I just let go.

      But I'll check again.
      My memory might be a bit hazy, but I actually used to borrow my parents account info specifically for SEC Network access. From what I remember, Insight/TimeWarner/Spectrum got the SEC Network but did not pony up for online access to SEC Network Plus. So if it said SECN+ then it wouldn't work but if it said SECN then it worked. Unless that changed when it became Spectrum, then it should work.
    1. PedroDaGr8's Avatar
      PedroDaGr8 - 12-02-2017, 08:57 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8 View Post
      My memory might be a bit hazy, but I actually used to borrow my parents account info specifically for SEC Network access. From what I remember, Insight/TimeWarner/Spectrum got the SEC Network but did not pony up for online access to SEC Network Plus. So if it said SECN+ then it wouldn't work but if it said SECN then it worked. Unless that changed when it became Spectrum, then it should work.
      Quote Originally Posted by Darrell KSR View Post
      I love it when a school like Western Kentucky has a great team. That was no fluke. The pieces were excellent, AND they had experience, with several of the players playing in their 4th NCAA tournament. That was a very good win.

      Pedro watched them yesterday annihilate Notre Dame, and told everyone they were for real. Kentucky began WKU's season--and our own--with an exhibition against WKU. No "official" score was kept, but word was that UK pretty much destroyed Western Kentucky. WKU was coming off a 30-3 season last year, perfect 14-0 conference record, and 6 straight conference championships, returning a ton of talent. Craig Skinner kept telling people yesterday that WKU today wasn't the WKU we saw in August. Man, was he right.

      I still maintain they are one of the Top 10 teams I have seen play all season. I am far from an expert but even watching #1 Penn St. last night, WKU would take them to the wire if not beat them. If they were in Florida's bracket I could see them giving Florida a hard time. I don't think I have ever seen a team this good entirely slept on.

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