DeLeye, Rutherford Lead No. 15 Kentucky to Eighth-Straight Win

The No. 15 Kentucky volleyball team picked up its third sweep in the last four games Friday night, as they downed LSU in Baton Rouge in straight sets (25-18, 26-24, 25-18) to earn its eighth-straight victory.

As has been the case for much of this winning streak for Kentucky, balance proved to be the key ingredient that guided the Cats to the win. Five Wildcats totaled five or more kills on the evening, with setter Emma Grome picking up 37 assists. Reagan Rutherford and Brooklyn DeLeye led the offensive attack with 11 kills apiece. Junior Megan Wilson added nine terminations, Elise Goetzinger had seven, and Azhani Tealer had five.

Kentucky’s back line was terrific defensively yet again, as freshman Molly Tuozzo continued her impressive freshman campaign with a match-high 11 digs in the match. Libero Eleanor Beavin added 10, DeLeye had eight, and Tealer, Grome, and Audrey Whitworth each had three. 

The Cats held LSU to just .175 hitting and only 32 total kills. Grome and Tealer proved to be a big reason for that, as each finished the match with three blocks. Goetzinger and Rutherford both recorded one rejection as well.

With the victory, Kentucky improves to 11-7 on the season and 9-1 in the SEC. The Cats currently sit in a two-way tie with No. 10 Arkansas in first place atop the league. Next up, Kentucky will travel to Columbia, South Carolina for a clash with the Gamecocks in the second match of a four-game road trip. First serve against South Carolina is set for 7:00 pm ET and will be broadcast live on SEC Network.+.