The UK volleyball team will return home for the first time since Aug. 26 on Sept. 15 to host a match against their archrival Louisville Cardinals in Memorial Coliseum. 

The Cardinals are 5-3 so far this season, and this past weekend they earned three wins in the UNLV Challenge, defeating UC Irvine (3-0), Weber State (3-1) and UNLV (3-0).

U of L will try to keep their 3 game winning streak alive when they play the Cats.

A key player for the Cardinals is sophomore outside hitter Melanie McHenry. She leads the team in kills averaging 3.48 kills per set.

Junior libero Molly Sauer has been an effective element for their team, especially as of recent. In the UNLV challenge, Sauer posted 40 digs for the Cardinals, which were big-time plays for this team as it led to their win of the overall tournament.

As for the Cats, they have started the season with a strong 7-2 record, and they recently just moved forward in the AVCA poll for a ranking of the No. 12 team. 

Offensively this season, the Cats have had an impressive start with Leah Edmond leading her team in kills with 154. 

The freshmen have not been silent as Gabby Curry on the defensive side averages 3.82 digs per set. 

As for the past matchups between the Cats and Cards, the Cats lead that category.

Louisville trails in the series 27-25, and head coach Craig Skinner is 6-3 versus the Cardinals.

The Cats have won the past four matchups and swept the Cardinals in last year’s match at Louisville.

This match against Kentucky will be the first Battle of the Bluegrass for the Cardinals’ head coach Dani Busboom Kelly. However, she was formerly a U of L assistant coach and she has won awards and national titles with Nebraska. 

The Cats and the Cards will face off promptly at 7 p.m. on Friday and this match will be televised on the SEC Network.