Kentucky VB sweeps Ohio State to wrap up exhibition schedule

Kentucky enters the 2025-26 women’s volleyball season with a loaded roster, ranked No. 7 nationally with its eyes on not only a ninth consecutive SEC title, but the program’s second national championship. Reigning SEC Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye is back while Purdue star transfer Eva Hudson is ready to make her debut — both named to the AVCA 2025 National Player of the Year Watch List — along with returning standouts Molly Tuozzo and Brooke Bultema joining them on the All-SEC Preseason Team.

It didn’t take long for them to show the Wildcats are worthy of the hype, sweeping Ohio State in their lone exhibition match of the season. Playing inside a packed Historic Memorial Coliseum, UK earned the 3-0 sweep — then won an added a fourth set for good measure.

Kentucky dominated the first set 25-12, then squeaked by in the next three at 26-24, 25-23 and 25-23.

“HMC needed cleaning so we brought our (brooms).”

HMC needed cleaning so we brought our 🧹🧹🧹

*(the exhibition match will continue for a fourth set)#WeAreUK 🔵 pic.twitter.com/KgTs5voErj

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) August 23, 2025

No highlights or stats are available for the exhibition sweep quite yet, but there are some pictures from Historic Memorial Coliseum to enjoy until then:

It was the perfect appetizer to the entree coming next weekend with back-to-back matchups in Nashville to open the regular season, including the long-awaited battle vs. No. 1 Nebraska at Bridgestone Arena. They’ll first take on Lipscomb on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 3 PM ET, live on ESPN+, followed by the top-ranked Cornhuskers on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 12 PM ET, live on ABC.

Prior to the exhibition debut against real competition, the Wildcats competed in the program’s annual Blue/White Scrimmage and Fan Day at HMC on Aug. 16.

🔵⚪️🔵⚪️🔵⚪️🔵⚪️🔵⚪️🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/5tcef2H0OG

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) August 18, 2025

After that, a team retreat last weekend at Red River Gorge to get ready for the season.

A weekend that filled our cups 💙 pic.twitter.com/gRJKPbAa81

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) August 20, 2025

Kentucky volleyball was picked by the 16 SEC head coaches to win the league in the annual preseason poll, leading the way with 16 first-place votes and 218 points overall. Texas was picked to finish second, followed by Texas A&M in third, Missouri in fourth and Florida in fifth.

After the Nashville matchups next weekend, the Wildcats will open the season at home on September 13 against SMU as part of a four-team event with UK, SMU, Houston and Purdue. They will take on all four teams from the 2024 Final Four in the non-conference schedule with Penn State (Sept. 5), Pittsburgh (Sept. 10) and Louisville (Sept. 18) joining Nebraska.

“The decision was, do we schedule tough because we know we have some great players and have a chance to end the year competing for a national championship,” head coach Craig Skinner said of the difficult schedule. “It is what we typically do, maybe even a little bit tougher, all four of the Final Four teams from last year are on our schedule. But I do not feel like we will get to where we want go if we don’t play these teams.”

Where do they want to go?

“Our expectation this season is to win the SEC championship, both the tournament and the (regular season),” sophomore Asia Thigpen said. “So, I think you check that off and we want to go for a national championship.”

That journey started on Saturday, but the real stuff begins next week. Time to see what these Cats are made of.