Kentucky volleyball sweeps Lipscomb in season-opener ahead of matchup vs. No. 1 Nebraska

Kentucky volleyball passed its first quiz of the 2025 season, but the upcoming test might as well be the bar exam.

On Saturday afternoon in Nashville, the No. 7 Wildcats (1-0) had no problem taking down the Lipscomb Bisons with a 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-20, 25-23). It was the first of two games this weekend for Craig Skinner’s squad down in Tennessee, setting the stage for a top 10 showdown at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday against top-ranked Nebraska.

Taking care of Lipscomb with ease was the perfect way for Kentucky to get its feet wet.

The Wildcats’ reigning SEC Player of the Year, Brooklyn DeLeye, led all players with 18 kills on 35 swings while posting a hitting percentage of .429. She was aided by a pair of Purdue transfers as Eva Hudson recorded 10 kills and seven digs, with Lizzie Carr adding six kills and just one error. This was the first time since 2021 that Kentucky won its season-opener.

STARTING OFF THE SEASON RIGHT!!!!🧹#WeAreUK x #BBN pic.twitter.com/txk2yoC2pI

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) August 30, 2025

Ava Sarafa was excellent in her first career start as the Wildcats’ setter, posting a career-best 33 assists to go along with seven digs. Meanwhile, Molly Tuozzo, now in year two as libero, produced 10 digs. As a team, Kentucky’s offense hit .275 percent and recorded 41 kills to only 11 errors. UK also blocked eight hits on defense.

After a clean sweep to get the season going, now the real fun begins. No. 7 Kentucky and No. 1 Nebraska will play in the first-ever NCAA volleyball match broadcast on ABC. Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, and Madison Fitzpatrick will be on the call at noon ET on Sunday for this significant moment in the sport’s history. It will be the start of a challenging season-long schedule for the Wildcats.

Kentucky is set to face all of the nation’s top-four ranked teams in the non-conference, starting with Nebraska on Sunday and continuing with No. 2 Penn State (Sept. 5), No. 3 Pittsburgh (Sept. 10), and No. 4 Louisville (Sept. 18). Mixed in there is a home showdown with No. 10 SMU on Sept. 13. The ‘Cats will also take No. 5 Texas, No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 16 Florida, and No. 17 Missouri during SEC play, not to mention the other opponents reciving votes in the national poll: Tennessee, Oklahoma, Washington, Houston, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Coach Skinner has never been shy about building a tough schedule. It’s helped Kentucky win eight straight SEC championships over the years. We’ll get a better idea of where the ‘Cats stack up as national title contenders by the end of the Sunday.

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