No. 10 UK Volleyball Picks up First Win in 3-1 Victory Over Northern Colorado

Thanks to a superb effort from behind the service line, the No. 10 Kentucky volleyball team picked up its first win of the 2023 season Saturday night, knocking off Northern Colorado in four (25-22, 25-14, 22-25, 25-14).

After committing 13 service errors with just four aces the night prior, the Cats put together a masterful performance from behind the service line against the Bears. Four Wildcats walked away with an ace in the final box score, led by freshman Molly Tuozzo. Tuozzo totaled a whopping six service aces on the evening, four of which came in the first frame alone. Emma Grome and Eleanor Beavin each added a pair of aces of their own and Reagan Rutherford had one.

Offensively, four Wildcats reached double figures on the evening as the Cats hit .339 as a team. Rutherford led the way with 17 kills, Erin Lamb and Brooklyn DeLeye each had 13 and Azhani Tealer had ten. 

In the loss against Colorado State, Kentucky totaled just 2.0 blocks as team. Saturday night, however, the block was alive and active as the Cats totaled 10.0 rejections. Middle blocker Jordyn Williams led the charge with five blocks, Rutherford added four, Tealer and Grome each had three, and Lamb had two. 

On the back line, Beavin picked up a match-high 13 digs. Rutherford added eight, Tuozzo had five, and Grome had four. The defensive effort limited the Bears to just 41 kills through four sets of play and a hitting clip of only .227. 

With the win, Kentucky improves to 1-1 on the season and wraps up its opening weekend stint in Colorado. They’ll travel back to Lexington and prepare for a clash against No. 5 Pittsburgh on Friday in their home opener and lone home match of the nonconference. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as Skinner and company attempt to break the all-time attendance record for Kentucky volleyball. First serve is set for 7 pm ET and free parking will be available for anyone who has a pre-purchased ticket.