No. 4 Kentucky Sweeps No. 5 Penn State in a Statement Road Win

by: Penelope Steffek-Lynch09/06/25penelopesl3

kentucky-volleyball-faces-oklahoma-and-mizzou-this-week-no-7-texas-follows — Photo by UK Athletics

The No. 4 Kentucky volleyball Wildcats picked up a huge early-season win Friday night, sweeping No. 5 Penn State in State College, PA.

Amidst a raucous Rec Hall crowd, the Cats picked up one of the program’s biggest victories. Kentucky took all three sets, scoring 25-21, 25-16, 25-23, giving them their highest-ranked road win since 2017. Penn State, the defending national champions, raised its title banner ahead of the match.

Reigning SEC Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye hammered home 18 kills on the night, once again proving she belongs in the conversation with the nation’s elite. Star sophomore Eva Hudson added 10 kills of her own, her last being the match-clincher in the third set. Alongside them, freshman setter Kassie O’Brien posted 27 assists in her first extended action match. Dominating the frontline, Kennedy Washington and Lizzie Carr fueled the energy, out-stuffing Penn State 11-5.

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— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) September 6, 2025

The Wildcats gained control over the match late in the first set. DeLeye ended the match with a kill to take it 25-21, and from there it was all Kentucky. Set two was led by O’Brien and resulted in an easy 25-16 victory for the Cats. Punching back, Penn State took the lead 18-15 in the third set. However, DeLeye’s back-to-back aces led Kentucky to the finish line. Closing with a 10-5 run, Hudson delivered the dagger with a rocket down the line to take the sweep.

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Penn State never found their flow with the Cats defense jam-packed at the net. The loss marks their third straight, leaving Kentucky with much-needed momentum as they look ahead to SEC play.

This statement road win against a powerhouse program is a huge pick up for Craig Skinner and his team. Kentucky stepped into one of the toughest environments in college volleyball and walked out with a straight-sets sweep of the nation’s No. 5 team.

With SEC play on the horizon, the Wildcats couldn’t have asked for a greater momentum drive. They look to carry it over on Saturday in a quick turnaround matchup against New Hampshire (2:00 p.m. ET | BTN+).