No. 2 Kentucky VB wins final three sets to take down No. 19 Tennessee in front of sold-out crowd

In front of a historic crowd filled with thousands of members of the Big Blue Nation, Kentucky volleyball battled some adversity to keep its undefeated conference streak alive.

On Sunday afternoon in Memorial Coliseum, the No. 2 Wildcats (20-2; 13-0 SEC) overcame a 1-0 set hole by winning the final three sets in a massive 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-18) over No. 19 Tennessee. The attendance mark was announced at 6,236 fans, the third-largest crowd in program history and the most since 1983. It was officially announced as a sell-out, the first of head coach Craig Skinner’s tenure in Lexington.

Even with star hitter Eva Hudson suffering what appeared to be a rolled ankle early on in the match, she never wavered despite being in clear discomfort. The National Player of the Year semifinalist finished with a team-high 19 kills on a .452 hitting percentage. Fellow outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye, also a NPOY semifinalist, chipped in 18 kills of her own for the ‘Cats.

As a team, Kentucky hit just .252 for the match, but recorded 14 blocks to only seven for Tennessee. The Volunteers were tagged with 11 more errors (27-16) than UK. The Wildcats blew an early first-set lead and were on the ropes in the second, but found ways to pick up timely points en route to the comeback win. Freshman setter Kassie O’Brien was brilliant once again with 40 assists and 12 digs, while libero Molly Tuozzo added 12 digs to her stat line.

RIVALRY MATCH: WON✅✅✅✅#WeAreUK x #BBN pic.twitter.com/suaNk7VyC9

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) November 10, 2025

Kentucky got off to a hot start in the opening set, jumping out to an early 12-7 lead behind a roaring BBN crowd. UK looked to be on the verge of running away with the set one win, but Tennessee soon settled in. The Volunteers slowly chipped away at the lead, making it just a 19-18 advantage for the ‘Cats, forcing Skinner to call a timeout. Tennessee then went on a 4-1 run, leading to another Kentucky timeout. The Vols would go on to take the set, 25-22.

Tennessee opened up set two by scoring the first two points, but Kentucky immediately responded with a 5-0 run. The runs would continue, the next one a 4-0 stretch for the Vols to go back in front. It was a back-and-forth afair from there. Tennessee took a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. It felt like the Vols were landing every kill opportunity. UT would go in front 19-16 before Kentucky fought back to tie it and later take a 21-19 lead. A DeLeye kill would push UK to a huge second-set win, 25-23.

Going into a critical third set, both sides traded points early on before Kentucky landed a punch. UK took a 10-7 lead, which it soon pushed to 15-9 as we went into the media timeout. The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas from there, going in front 18-9 and forcing a Tennessee timeout. UT would hang around, but Kentucky maintained its hold on the set, taking it 25-18 for a 2-1 match advantage.

Kentucky, looking for the final blow, ran out of the gate to take an 11-5 lead and forced Tennessee into a timeout. That break was needed, as the Vols would crawl back to cut their deficit down to 12-9. That comeback rally would fall short, though, with Kentucky jetting ahead to a commanding 19-12 lead. The Wildcats never looked back, polishing off the set 25-18 and ultimately winning the match 3-1.

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