< PreviousLeah Edmond has accomplished nearly every individual goal that a player could accomplish in her three years with the Ken- tucky volleyball team. Yet, as she approach- es her final season at UK, the senior from Lexington is not focused on individual goals or awards. She simply wants to take her pro- gram to levels it has never seen. "I'm focusing more on the team goals," Edmond said. "Individually, I did more than I thought I would, so that's just an accom- plishment in itself." No one could blame Edmond if she want- ed to speak about her awards and accom- plishments. She was the 2018 SEC Player of the Year, was named second team AVCA All-American and first team All-Southeast Region. She needs just 251 kills to become the school's all-time leader in that category. And she has led the program to unprece- dented success during her three-year career. Yet when asked about goals for 2019, Ed- mond immediately shifted back to the team. "To win another SEC Championship, a three-peat would be a really great way to end my career," Edmond said. "And getting farther in the (NCAA) Tournament, that's the thing we talk about every year. With this be- ing my last year, I really want to make sure that we make that jump. Not just to the Elite 8, but on to the Final Four. That's what this program needs and wants." Edmond is doing more than talking about these goals. She's working hard to get there, something that UK head coach Craig Skin- ner has seen already this fall. "I think Leah has been very driven, very focused this summer," Skinner said. "The first few days of practice, she's been all about trying to get better and effort and en- couraging her teammates. Leah has already accomplished so many things individually there's really no need to focus on that type of stuff, but she can focus on how she can help Kentucky volleyball be really good." The word focus came up more than once when Skinner talked about Edmond. The se- nior definitely seems locked in to her coach- es and teammates. "In the first couple of days of practice, she's as focused as she's ever been," Skinner said. "This summer, with (strength and con- ditioning) Coach (John) Spurlock working out, he said this was the best summer she has had since she's been at Kentucky. So, there's no reason to think she's not dialed in today to help us be the best we can be this year." Edmond's individual accomplishments are made more amazing by the fact that she is always the focus of the opposition's de- fense. Edmond doesn't mind the attention from the other side of the net. "I think the target makes me want to play even harder," Edmond said. "It's a challenge and it pushes me." Edmond's teammates realize that they are playing with someone who will go down as one of the best players in program history. "She's amazing," said fellow senior Cait- lyn Cooper. "Being a really close friend to her and roommates with her, seeing her play is just unbelievable. It's kind of crazy that I got to see on TV how she was a great player, and now I get to play with her, it's amazing." Amazing is an appropriate word when describing the first three years of Edmond's career. This season, Edmond would love to add more superlatives, especially of the team variety, to cap an amazing career as a Cat. Edmond Motivated, Focused as Senior Season Approaches 68 @UKFootball By: Tim Letcher UK Media Relations Photo b y Elliott Hess, UK Athletics UK Sports Network Television Information TV Affiliates: Ashland/Huntington – WQCW Bowling Green – WBKO Evansville – WFIE Fox Sports Atlantic Fox Sports Ohio Fox Sports South Hazard – WKYM & eYMT Lexington – WKYT & CW Lexington Louisville – WHAS Paducah - WPSD 70 @UKFootballUK Sports Network Radio Information Market Call Letters Frequency Ashland, KY WCMI 92.7 FM / 1340 AM Ashland/Greenup, KY WLGC 105.7 FM Benton, KY WCBL 99.1 FM / 1290 AM Bowling Green, KY WGGC 95.1 FM Burkesville, KY bb only WKYR 107.9 FM Cadiz, KY WKDZ 106.5 FM / 1110 AM Campbellsville, KY WCKQ 104.1 FM Cincinnati WCKY 1530 AM Columbia, KY WAIN 93.5 FM / 1270 AM Corbin, KY WCTT 107.3 FM / 680 AM Dry Ridge, KY WNKR 106.7 FM Elizabethtown, KY WAKY 103.5 FM / 620 AM Flemingsburg, KY WFLE 95.1 FM Grayson, KY WUGO 99.7 FM Greenville, KY bb only WKYA 105.5 FM Hardinsburg, KY WXBC 104.3 FM Harlan, KY WTUK 105.1 FM Hazard, KY WSGS 101.1 FM Henderson, KY WSON 96.5 FM / 860 AM Hopkinsville, KY WHOP 98.7 FM / 1230 AM Jamestown, KY WJRS 104.9 FM Jenkins, KY WIFX 94.3 FM Johnson City, TN WETB 790 AM Lancaster, KY WRNZ 105.1 FM Leitchfield, KY WKHG 104.9 FM Lexington WBUL / WLAP 98.1 FM / 630 AM London, KY WWEL 103.9 FM Louisville WHAS 840 AM Madisonville, KY WKTG 93.9 FM Mayfield, KY WLLE 102.1 FM Maysville, KY WFTM 95.9 FM / 1240 AM Monticello, KY WKYM 101.7 FM Morehead, KY WIVY 96.3 FM Morganfield WMSK 101.3 FM Nashville, TN WPRTHD 102.5 HD Owensboro, KY WBKR / WOMI 92.5 FM / 1490 AM Paducah, KY WKYX 94.3 FM / 570 AM Paintsville, KY WSIP 98.9 FM / 1490 AM Pikeville, KY WDHR / WPKE 93.1 FM / 103.1 FM Pineville, KY WRIL 106.3 FM Prestonsburg, KY WQHY / WDOC 95.5 FM / 1310 AM Providence, KY WWKY 104.9 FM Somerset, KY WSEK 93.9 FM / 910 AM Whitesburg, KY WXKQ / WTCW 103.9 FM / 920 AM Williamsburg, KY WEZJ / WEKX 104.3 FM / 102.7 FM 2019 Schedule Aug. 31 Toledo W, 38-24 Sept. 7 Eastern Michigan W, 38-17 Sept. 14 Florida 7:00 p.m. Sept. 21 at Mississippi State 4:00 p.m. Sept. 28 at South Carolina TBA Oct. 12 Arkansas TBA Oct. 19 at Georgia TBA Oct. 26 Missouri TBA Nov. 9 Tennessee TBA Nov. 16 at Vanderbilt TBA Nov. 23 UT-Martin TBA Nov. 30 Louisville TBA (Countdown to Kickoff begins 2 hours prior to kickoff} UKHealthCare Mark Stoops Radio (all shows are from 6-7 p.m.) Monday, August 26, 2019 Monday, September 02, 2019 Monday, September 9, 2019 Monday, September 16, 2019 Monday, September 23, 2019 Monday, September 30, 2019 Monday, October 07, 2019 Monday, October 14, 2019 Monday, October 21, 2019 Monday, October 28, 2019 Monday, November 04, 2019 Monday, November 11, 2019 Monday, November 18, 2019 Monday, November 25, 2019 @UKSportsNetwork 71Next >