No. 2 Kentucky VB Sweeps Arkansas, Clinches Ninth Straight SEC Title on Senior Day

On an emotional Senior Day inside Memorial Coliseum, No. 2 Kentucky volleyball swept Arkansas 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-12) to clinch its ninth consecutive SEC title.

The lone senior, Eva Hudson, was spectacular in front of a roaring home crowd on Sunday afternoon, polishing off 15 kills on .438 hitting, adding multiple momentum-swinging points that lit up the building. Brooklyn DeLeye was right behind her with 13 kills and nine digs, while Kennedy Washington had one of her best performances of the year, totaling seven clutch kills and three monster blocks.

Lizzie Carr added seven kills of her own, two impactful blocks, and an outstanding .545 hitting percentage. Anchoring the back row with consistency was Molly Tuozzo, tallying 12 insane digs. As a team, UK posted a .447 hitting percentage with 48 combined kills. Kentucky had already clinched a share of the SEC championship with Friday’s win, but Sunday’s victory handed them the title outright.

The Wildcats finish the regular season on a 19-match win streak with a 22-2 overall record, including a perfect 15-0 mark in conference play. It’s Kentucky’s first undefeated SEC record since the 2018 team went 18-0.

9️⃣!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/U7SUjHa5KS

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) November 16, 2025

Against a bad Arkansas team, Kentucky opened the first set with a kill from Hudson and back-to-back aces from Molly Berezowitz to get going early. Tuozzo dug impossible balls to keep rallies alive, while DeLeye and Hudson hammered balls from all across the court. Washington got going late with two big swings, and a block from Carr caused an Arkansas timeout at 22-15. Hudson ended another extended rally to set up a set point, and Kentucky secured the win 25-16.

The Cats started slower in the second set, trading points with Arkansas and trailing 8-7 before controlling the pace. A crafty dump by Kassie O’Brien opened the door for a surge, with Hudson finishing a monster kill to get momentum back. DeLeye followed her with another massive kill and helped push the Wildcats ahead 12-9. After another Arkansas timeout, DeLeye and Hudson continued to pour it on, tallying up kill after kill. Arkansas threatened to pull to within three, but Kentucky held them off to take the set 25-20.

Kentucky had all the energy going into the third, deflating Arkansas’ momentum. Washington added back-to-back rockets early while O’Brien tallied up several blocks. DeLeye followed with two aces to force another Arkansas timeout that erupted Memorial Coliseum. With the momentum, the Cats stretched their lead to 13-6 behind kills from Brooke Bultema and Jordyn Dailey. Washington buried a kill to set up match point, and fittingly, it was Hudson who secured the 25-12 win with the final swing.

The Wildcats got stronger with every set, breaking down Arkansas’ confidence with pure talent to showcase why they are one of the most elite teams in the country. As the match ended and the crowd electrified, it was Eva Hudson’s moment. On her Senior Day, surrounded by her teammates, coaches, and fanbase, Kentucky secured yet another SEC championship, its ninth in a row.

With all the momentum behind them, Kentucky now turns its attention to the SEC Tournament, entering the postseason perfect in the conference and one of the nation’s most dangerous contenders.