Ranked 13th in the nation, the lady Wildcats finished conference play with a 5 game winning streak and an overall record of 15-6-1. The 2014 SEC Tournament was UK’s head coach, John Lipsitz first time making it past the 1st round in the playoffs. The Wildcats came up just short, losing in the finals 1-0 to Texas A&M who are currently ranked number 4 in the nation.
With the SEC Tournament behind them and a tough fought first round win in the NCAA Tournament, they look to continue their run in the NCAA playoffs. If the Wildcats can defeat Arizona State, who beat Texas A&M earlier in the season, then they will move on to play against Rutgers or Virginia.
Look out for the Honda Inspiration award winner and one of top 100th ranked players, Erin Gilliland to handle the back field. Also, look for the talented Zoey Swift to lead the offense in scoring opportunities.
When Swift was asked, what do you think is the most important thing for your team to focus on during this second round matchup, she said “Just focusing on recovery from previous matches and taking it day by day” adding “We can’t get cocky or ahead of ourselves”. Swift was also asked, how she felt getting ready to play against an unranked opponent, she commented “It’s just like any other game and we’re going to play them the same as any other team. Anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament, so we can’t underestimate any of our opponents. There here for a reason so we will compete just like they will”.
The lady Wildcats will play against the Arizona State Sun Devils this Friday in Charlottesville, Va., this Friday at 3:00 pm.