UK Volleyball Sweeps LSU to Stay Undefeated in SEC Play

DeLeye was one of two players with double-figure scoring for the Wildcats as Eva Hudson logged 10 kills in the match with four digs, as well. DeLeye had a double-double in the match as she added in 11 digs to her 20 kills Sunday with two blocks, as well to her name. The match for DeLeye marked her second 20-kill performance in SEC play this season.

Kentucky showed a bucketful of resilience in the match Sunday, coming from behind late to win two of the three sets, including the decisive third set, when UK was trailing 23-21 and then rallied to win the final four points on the trot to close out the match. UK hit .211 as a team, holding LSU to .167 on the afternoon. Kassie O’Brien had her second-straight 40-assist match Sunday afternoon as she had exactly 40 assists on the night with Molly Tuozzo’s 14 digs leading the way for the Wildcats defense.

UK is now 12-2 on the season and sits a perfect 5-0 in SEC matches, tied for first in SEC play through three weeks of action. Kentucky plays Auburn at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday night inside Historic Memorial Coliseum with the match live on the SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

Set 1

Kentucky was down as many as four points in the first set as LSU came out firing out of the gates and led 4-1 and 9-5 before Kentucky steadied the ship and began to chip away at the Tiger lead. Kentucky got three service aces in the set, with the key serves coming off the arm of Ava Sarafa, who went on a set-high 4-0 run thanks to her elite precision and the Wildcats took what was an 18-15 deficit and turned it into a 20-19 lead as LSU called its first timeout. Following a kill by Jordyn Dailey on the right side and a block by Brooke Bultema and Lizzie Carr, the Wildcats took a 23-20 lead and LSU called for its second timeout. Carr ended the set with a first-ball sideout out of the middle to close the book, 25-22. UK hit .268 in the set led by seven kills from Eva Hudson as LSU hit .278 with nine kills from Jurnee Robinson to lead all scorers.

Set 2

UK took a two sets to none lead in the second set via way of a 25-18 second-set win. Kentucky used its potent offense to jump out in front by three points early as UK led 8-5 in the early stages before LSU staged a slow comeback to level the set at 10-10. LSU took its only lead at 11-10 before the Wildcats won four points in a row going into the media timeout to lead the proceedings, 15-11. The lead for UK grew to a set-high five points after a successful challenge by Craig Skinner on an in/out call as Kentucky led 17-12. LSU burned its first timeout after a block by Brooke Bultema in the later stages to push UK up by five at 20-15 and after LSU creeped to within four at 21-18, the Wildcats closed the set on a 4-0 run with Eva Hudson closing out the set on her ninth kill of the match as Kentucky took the set, 25-18 to take a two sets to none lead.

Set 3

LSU controlled much of the third set with the Tigers getting to a two-point lead at 23-21 as Kentucky called its final timeout of the set with LSU within two points of making the match head to a fourth set. The Wildcats then got a mammoth sideout on an extended rally from Brooklyn DeLeye for her 18th kill of the match to bring UK to within one before a kill by DeLeye followed with UK squaring the set at 23 all and LSU burning its final timeout. Kentucky won the final two points of the match on DeLeye’s 20th kill of the afternoon followed by a setting error on the Tigers to close out the sweep as Kentucky won the set, 25-23.