Craig Skinner Calls Brooklyn DeLeye 'One Hell of an Athlete' After Gritty 2025 Season

Kentucky Volleyball was swept by Texas A&M in Sunday’s national title game, but that doesn’t take away from the extraordinary feats of Brooklyn DeLeye. The 2024 SEC Player of the Year was excellent in UK’s run to the title game, and it was made even more impressive when reports came out that she played almost the entire season with a torn meniscus, her parents told Andrew Lind of WIBW on Saturday.

It was an injury that occurred early in the season against Nebraska. The toughness she showed this year defined her abiities.

With the game being in Kansas City, DeLeye got to experience it not far from her hometown of Topeka, Kansas. Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner was asked postgame about what her ability to play through injury speaks to the player she is.

“Just super proud of her to work through a challenging situation,” Skinner said. “She’s one hell of an athlete, one hell of a competitor.”

Brooklyn DeLeye is a Selfless Player

Brooklyn DeLeye’s 2025 season can be summed up in one word. Unselfishness. She epitomized what it means to be unselfish amid plenty of moving parts at Kentucky.

After winning SEC Player of the Year in 2024, she watched as Eva Hudson transferred to UK to play the same position as her. That could cause some players to run away. Not DeLeye.

Instead, DeLeye earned several accolades due to her 2025 play. She was recently named an AVCA First-Team All-American.

“Someone that is not about Brooklyn, she’s about all the people she’s around,” Skinner said. “She gives her heart and soul to her teammates and the program. Couldn’t be more proud of her as a person and athlete.”

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