Super San Diego: Kentucky VB's season ends with a Sweet 16 Sweep
It wasn’t meant to be in Palo Alto on Thursday night for the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats. A highly-anticipated Sweet 16 matchup versus the San Diego Toreros was on the line, and it proved to be a one-sided affair. Kentucky was swept 3-0 by San Diego and sent packing after a quick stay in California.
From start to finish USD outplayed Kentucky, completely controlling play at the net and not giving the ‘Cats anything on offense. The Wildcats weren’t able to muster a scoring run longer than 5-0 all match as the Toreros seemed to have their number.
With the win, USD moves on to its first-ever Elite Eight appearance in school history. The Toreros await the winner of Stanford and Houston. The Wildcats can hold their heads high, after a season that saw them survive a brutal early schedule, but ultimately pay dividends as SEC champs for the sixth straight time.
Wake up call
The first set was off to a fast start for the Wildcats. Azhani Tealer got Kentucky on the board with her first kill of the match and freshman Audrey Whitworth aced the Toreros on the next play. San Diego was able to erase Kentucky’s early lead with a block that made it 5-5. Tealer was also invited to the block party, as she grabbed hers moments later to make it 8-7 for the ‘Cats.
The Toreros were menacing at the net, sending back a plethora of Kentucky attacks. Another Torero block made it 15-12 for San Diego and the ‘Cats weren’t able to even it up after that. USD maintained its lead for the remainder of the first set. Tealer grabbed another block which sent San Diego into a timeout, leading 22-19.
Whitworth picked up her second ace of the set in the closing stages of the first to put Kentucky down two. However, San Diego was too strong closing it out. Tealer saved one set point, but it wasn’t enough as the Toreros took the opener 25-22.
They’re for real
Tealer worked her magic to grab a kill on the first point of the set, but then San Diego wouldn’t be denied. The Toreros went on a 5-0 run to set the tone of the second set. Kentucky would ultimately play catch up for the remainder of the frame.
Reagan Rutherford leaped in the air but was blocked by San Diego’s wall upfront. In fact, USD got two back-to-back blocks after stuffing Rutherford and they led 10-5. It was a back-and-forth affair from there, with Kentucky stealing a point, but San Diego getting it right back. Erin Lamb had a tremendous second set, with back-to-back kills that cut the Torero lead to 18-15.
SEC Player of the Year, Emma Grome, leaped and stuffed one at the net and Kentucky trailed 20-18.
Adanna Rollins missed a pivotal opportunity with an attempted kill that went just out. San Diego would go on to punish the ‘Cats and win the set. A 4-0 Torero run was enough for USD to claim the crucial second set 25-19. Just like that, Kentucky was staring down the barrel of an elimination shotgun, hoping to not get swept.
Not meant to be
Rollins got up early to block San Diego and tie the third set at three apiece. Kentucky’s longest run of the night to this point was 3-0, a sign of domination by the Toreros. Breana Edwards picked up her 10th kill of the night for USD to extend their lead to 9-7. Another San Diego block made it 15-10 for the Toreros and there was no way back for Kentucky.
Maddie Berezowitz gave Kentucky a small spark when she checked in late in the third set. Tealer and Rollins were able to snag back-to-back kills cutting the lead to 23-18 after Berezowitz entered the match. However, it would end up being all that was written in this contest.
A net violation took San Diego to match point, and they would make sure to put this one away. A 25-18 set three victory would knock Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament and send USD to its first-ever Elite Eight. After five straight sweeps, including two in the big dance, the Wildcats were the ones swept in Palo Alto.
The positives
In a season where Kentucky scheduled Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Louisville early on, they learned a lot about themselves. The brutal scheduling seemed to have helped later on in the regular season when the ‘Cats split a decisive series in Florida and went on to win the SEC Championship for the sixth consecutive season.
Kentucky had the best player in the SEC, Emma Grome. She captured SEC Player of the Year and cemented herself as one of the best players in the country as only a sophomore. Four Wildcats made it on the All-SEC and All-AVCA region team — not too bad.
Breakout seasons from Reagan Rutherford and Adanna Rollins kept the offense rolling and the fans excited all season long. Finally, superstar Azhani Tealer decided to come back next year and play her fifth season at Kentucky. Tonight may not have ended the way BBN wanted to, but there’s a silver lining.
It seemed as if this Kentucky team had a little bit more in them. It was almost as if that one standout win was lacking and then this squad could show everyone what they were made of. The victory over Florida was massive, but what happens if the ‘Cats knocked off Louisville in that five-setter earlier this season? I wouldn’t call it a missed opportunity, but they did not reach their full potential.
Kentucky ends its season with a 23-7 (15-3) record after battling numerous injuries at the start of conference play. At one point in the year they found their stride, winning 10 of their last 11 toward the end of conference play. However, the NCAA Tournament is a different beast. Thursday night that beast was a Torero.
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