Keep your brooms close: Kentucky VB picks up third straight sweep
After No. 20 Kentucky rolled to a 3-0 victory in Athens, Georgia on Wednesday night, it’s almost as if they’ve forgotten how to concede a set. Although it looked like domination on paper, all three sets played between the ‘Cats and ‘Dogs came down to the wire.
The Wildcats have now won 10 of their last 11 matches, including sweeps of their last three opponents. Kentucky moves to 15-6 (10-2 SEC) on the year with the road dub and now goes on a nine-day hiatus before traveling to Starkville, MS to take on a different type of Bulldog.
Grab the running shoes
Truly a game of runs, no better way to describe this match. Azhani Tealer forced Georgia into a timeout early in the first set after her kill with Kentucky leading 13-10. The Bulldogs would prove to storm back after they burned their last timeout of the set.
Down 17-13, UGA rattled off six consecutive points to storm back and emphatically regain the lead. However, the ‘Cats started a theme of their own in the match; the unwillingness to never back down. There’d be four more ties in the set after Kentucky evened the first at 19 apiece.
Reagan Rutherford pulled out some late-set heroics as she recorded a kill and then a block to put the ‘Cats up two.
Facing set point for the first time, Rutherford terminated again and we were even at 24. Enough was enough for Kentucky as they dropped only one more point and won the first set 27-25.
Close but no cigar
Georgia looked good out the gate to open the second set, but head coach Craig Skinner’s squad would have a word. It took a while for UK to regain the lead in the second, however, it was inevitable.
Audrey Whitworth’s ace and Tealer’s kill capped off three consecutive points after a Kentucky timeout, and just like that, the lead was back. Some miscommunication between SEC Player of the Week Emma Grome and SEC Offensive Player of the Week Adanna Rollins gave Georgia a point tying up the set at 23. But Rollins would get her revenge, adding a kill on the next point which ultimately helped Kentucky win the set 25-23.
Although the scoreline didn’t favor Georgia by any means, a tip of the cap is due considering how close they kept this match. Tied again, this time in the third set at 14 apiece, the Bulldogs had to think they weren’t getting swept.
Down 19-15, Kentucky went on a massive 5-1 run and the lead was theirs again. Rutherford added a kill and an ace during the run, as only she could. If you thought that was enough, how about another 5-1 run to close the match? Not that this is MA 109 (what I took my freshman year) but that’s an 11-2 run to close the game for the Wildcats. Grab the Nike Air Maxes, the ‘Cats are going on a run.
That’s nine straight sets, three straight sweeps, and unlimited mojo for Kentucky after bringing the brooms out against Georgia, which they also did with Auburn. Five-set thrillers are fun and all, but sweeps are clean and easy. Sign me up.
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