Volleyball senior class excels during four years

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By T.J. Walker

Three of the UK volleyball program’s winningest players will never play a regular season home match again.

No. 10 UK (27-3, 17-2 Southeastern Conference) said goodbye to seniors Brooke Bartek, Sarah Rumely and BriAnne Sauer on Sunday in their final home match vs. Florida.

Senior setter Sarah Rumely has started every game in her career at UK. Photo by Allie Garza | Staff

“Those seniors have given us so much,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said. “It’s not about one match for them. It’s about an entire career. The wins the seniors have given us have been unbelievable.”

Before their last game, the seniors were celebrated for an outstanding career by 2,841 fans in attendance at Memorial Coliseum. Their senior day wasn’t how they had dreamed however, as they were not able to capture the SEC title and beat the Gators.

“They know we’re going to miss them, but the season isn’t over,” junior outside hitter Sarah Mendoza said. “It’s not like a lot of pressure, it’s not like this is our last game.”

As of now, the senior class has compiled an impressive 94-31 record during their time at UK. There is still the last game of the year at Tennessee on Wednesday and the NCAA tournament, but their 31 losses are currently the fewest by a class at UK.

Rumely is an All-American, was the 2008 SEC Player of the Year, 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year, and has won a handful of SEC player of the week awards throughout her career. She has also started nearly every game since stepping foot in Lexington.

Sauer has led the team in digs since her sophomore year. The libero moved to second all-time at UK in the digs department this season and also has a handful of SEC weekly awards. She was name to the SEC All-Academic team her sophomore and junior seasons. Sauer said unity has made this class so great.

“We all love each other, and we would do anything for each other,” Sauer said.  “And I think that’s more important that we would do anything for each other and play together and (the Florida game) was unfortunate.”

The season isn’t over and the Cats still can get a share of the SEC title and perhaps a deep run into the NCAA Tournament. Skinner trusts his team and believes in his seniors to continue to work hard.

“I have complete faith in this team,” Skinner said. “I know they will come in and practice hard on Monday and Tuesday, they always practice hard and there’s an opportunity Wednesday and I know they will come hard and there is no other team I would rather be coaching.”