SEC champion Kentucky starts NCAA Tournament play Thursday night in Memorial Coliseum. (UK Athletics Photo)
After Kentucky swept South Carolina Saturday to assure it had at least shared a sixth straight Southeastern Conference volleyball championship, the Cats players got to celebrate in Memorial Coliseum.
However, there was one important thing missing according to coach Craig Skinner.
“We won (the SEC title) and there was not a trophy to get pictures with,” said Skinner. “I felt bad for the players that they could not get a picture with the trophy. We deserved that.”
He’s right. It’s hard to imagine Georgia or LSU winning the SEC football championship and not having a trophy on the field after the game. Granted, UK shared the volleyball title with Florida but Skinner — who never complains — just wants recognition for his program and sport.
“I wish I had been more proactive and had got the team on Kroger Field (during the Kentucky-Louisville football game to be recognized),” the UK coach said.
No, that’s not on him. That’s on UK marketing for not making sure that happened. Kentucky ran shuttles for fans from Kroger Field to Memorial Coliseum and back, so why not anticipate UK volleyball winning the SEC title again and plan to get the players on Kroger Field for a deserved ovation?
“It should have been breaking news (on TV and radio) that UK won the SEC volleyball championship,” Skinner said during an appearance on The Leach Report’s Sunday Morning Sports on WLAP (630 AM). “BBN does not know a lot about our individual players. Having more of them on shows like this and BBN Tonight (on WLEX-TV) will help because fans attach themselves to human interest stories.”
One of the best human interest stories this year is freshman Audrey Whitworth of Breckinridge County, the first in-state UK signee not from Louisville, Lexington or northern Kentucky.
“She is smiling all the time. She’s like a kid in a candy store,” Skinner said. “There was a charter bus and 100 family and friends from Breckinridge County at our match (Saturday) with Withworth shirts on. That is so awesome for her and our state.
“I remember when her club coach texted me and said he had a kid from Breckinridge CO I needed to look at. I said, ‘Why is a kid from Colorado flying to Louisville to play club (volleyball)?’ She is good and is going to do a lot of good things for this program.”
Kentucky (20-7) hosts Loyola-Chicago Thursday night and if it wins would play the Western Kentucky-Bowling Green winner on Friday for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.
2 Responses
I can’t agree more. With a daughter who is Obsessed with Volleyball I would say it is not just at the college level not being recognized. HS is no different. A lot of that comes from most of us have never played volleyball to understand it. However UK needs to do more to promote it. They have an unbelievable team and coaching staff and players. And yes get them out there in front of more crowds they deserve it!
Totally with you David
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