In an exciting showdown on Wednesday night, the No. 10 Kentucky Volleyball team dominated No. 9 Arkansas, winning the match 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 26-24) at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This victory secured Kentucky’s seventh-straight Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship.
Freshman standout Brooklyn DeLeye led the charge for Kentucky, recording an impressive 16 kills with only two errors, hitting for .350. She also contributed six digs to the team’s effort. This win marked the Wildcats’ third top-10 victory of the season and their second over the Razorbacks. Erin Lamb added 12 kills to the scoreboard, and Reagan Rutherford had a strong performance with 10 kills in her first match back from an ankle injury.
Kentucky’s prowess on the court was evident as they became only the third team this season to sweep Arkansas, joining the ranks of No. 1 Wisconsin and Georgia. With this win, the Wildcats extended their winning streak to an impressive 15 matches and improved their overall record to 18-7, with a remarkable 16-1 SEC record.
With this victory, Kentucky secured at least a share of the SEC title. The Wildcats can win the title outright if they defeat Florida in their season finale and Tennessee fails to beat South Carolina. The match against Florida will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET in Rupp Arena, and Sunday will also be a special day as it is Senior Day. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to honor seniors Azhani Tealer, Riah Walker, Reagan Rutherford, and Elise Goetzinger.
This seventh consecutive SEC title is an exceptional achievement for Kentucky, but it is also a remarkable milestone for Azhani Tealer. Tealer has become the first student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference to win five SEC Championships with one team in a five-year window while participating in all five years.
Recapping the match, in the first set, Arkansas started strong, taking an early 4-1 lead. However, Kentucky’s Erin Lamb propelled her team forward, securing four kills to help the Wildcats take the lead at 8-7. Strong blocks by Brooklyn DeLeye and Elise Goetzinger, combined with a kill by DeLeye, widened Kentucky’s lead to 15-11, their largest lead in the set up to that point. The Wildcats continued to dominate, and they closed out the set with a 25-19 victory.
In the second set, Kentucky set the tone right from the start, racing to a 5-0 lead with help from Eleanor Beavin’s extended-rally kills and an ace. Despite a momentary lapse where their lead shrunk to one point, the Wildcats quickly regained their composure and surged ahead to a 13-8 advantage. They closed out the set decisively, winning six of the final eight points and securing a 25-14 victory.
The third set saw Arkansas take control early, earning an 8-4 lead. However, Kentucky fought back, with Rutherford and Lamb leading the charge. The Wildcats tied the game at 10-10 after a kill by Tealer. After trailing by four points and experiencing an unlucky break, DeLeye’s kill and a block by Goetzinger and Emma Grome helped Kentucky regain the lead at 16-15. The set remained competitive, but Kentucky’s determination prevailed. They saved a set point at 24-23, and DeLeye’s crucial serve at 25-24 led to an overpass that Goetzinger hammered home, securing Kentucky’s seventh-straight SEC Championship.
One of the key moments in this match was DeLeye’s serve at 25-24 in the third set, which resulted in an overpass that Goetzinger capitalized on to secure the championship-winning point. Another standout performance came from Eleanor Beavin, who recorded an impressive 19 digs, a personal best for her in a three-set match. The key statistic of the match was the 3-0 sweep. Kentucky became only the third team to achieve this feat against Arkansas all season.
Exciting times lie ahead for Kentucky Volleyball as they close out their regular season with a match against No. 20 Florida on Saturday. With the support of their fans and the celebration of Senior Day, the Wildcats are sure to give their all as they aim to finish the season on a high note.
