Alpha Competitor's Embrace Challenging Kentucky Volleyball Schedule

Kentucky volleyball's Brooklyn DeLeye - Camryn Williams, UK Athletics

The Kentucky Volleyball team is preparing to take the court against seventh-ranked Pitt in the “Showdown at the Net,” an annual challenge between the best of the best from the ACC and SEC. This will be the Wildcats’ fifth game of the season and their third against a Top 10 foe.

In the second match of the season, the Wildcats took the first two sets from Nebraska before falling in five. Less than a week later, they were on the road at Penn State. After the Nittany Lions hung their 2024 National Championship banner, Kentucky got out the brooms and dominated Penn State with a 3-0 sweep.

Less than a week later, Kentucky is facing another perennial college volleyball powerhouse. Pitt has been to four straight Final Fours. Craig Skinner is not ducking top competition because his players aren’t afraid to take on the best of the best.

“We have a bunch of alpha competitors, and they do not want to have any part of losing,” the Kentucky volleyball coach said on Wednesday’s edition of KSR.

“We’re going to give ourselves a chance each match. It’s just closing the deal when you need to. I definitely want to go into battle with this group of people.”

You know what else gives you a chance in each match against the best teams in the country? Having two of the best outside hitters in the country.

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Brooklyn DeLeye is the reigning SEC Player of the Year. The 6-foot-2 junior All-American has a team-high 66 kills on the season and is averaging 4.71 per set. This offseason, the Cats added Eva Hudson, creating a powerful one-two punch. During her time at Purdue, the 6-foot-1 outside hitter led the Big Ten in kills. She hasn’t missed a beat at Kentucky, averaging 3.43 kills per set.

DeLeye and Hudson never leave the floor. When one is in the back row, the other is attacking in the front row. Opponents never get a break against the Wildcats.

“You’re always going to have a chance in matches if you have two people in that position that can terminate like they do,” said Skinner.

Kentucky’s two star outside hitters have another chance to showcase their skills on a national stage. The No. 3 Wildcats will take on No. 7 Pitt tonight at 6:30 PM ET in Ft. Worth on ESPN.

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