Savvy seniors, fab freshmen lead Kentucky again to NCAA ultimate 16

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“So, coach, inform me what you want about this workforce?”

“Properly, now we have a pleasant mixture of older gamers and youthful gamers that ought to assist to make us profitable.”

Many say it, nevertheless it’s possible that few are satisfied it truly will make a distinction in outcomes.

Maybe Kentucky coach Craig Skinner mentioned phrases of that ilk in the course of the preseason when speaking about his workforce. Regardless of the case, the Wildcats proved that, certainly, a mix of savvy, battle-tested upperclassmen and keen, proficient freshmen could make a profitable workforce.

Even a title contender.

The Wildcats (21-7) are of their ninth NCAA Event spherical 16 since 2009 and face SEC rival Arkansas (27-5), which has superior this far for the primary time since 1998. The groups sq. off at 3:30 p.m. Central Thursday at Nebraska after the Huskers (30-1) play Georgia Tech (24-6)

Kentucky and Arkansas confronted one another twice this season, with the Wildcats successful a five-setter in October after which sweeping the Hogs to clinch no less than a share of the SEC title within the penultimate match of the common season.

It was the seventh consecutive convention title for Skinner — one in all 4 SEC co-coaches of the 12 months — and his program. Kentuck, which has received 18 in row, swept Wofford and Baylor within the first two rounds of the NCAA Event. For that matter, Kentucky has swept 4 matches in a row, which included successful at Arkansas simply weeks in the past. When Arkansas visited UK in October, the Wildcats received in 5.

“We’ve performed Arkansas twice already this 12 months, however I believe it’s simply one other impediment for us to beat,” senior outdoors hitter Reagan Rutherford mentioned. “I really feel like all of us felt stress enjoying them for the SEC title, and simply being (defending SEC) champions, in order that was a extremely intense recreation, and we made it out of that.

“So I really feel prefer it’s simply the identical sort of depth we’re prepared for.”

The Wildcats are prepared. All of them. From the 4 2020/spring ’21 nationwide championship workforce holdovers — Rutherford, fifth-year center blocker Azhani Tealer, senior center Elsie Goetzinger and senior libero Riah Walker — to fab freshmen Brooklyn DeLeye and Molly Tuozzo.

That blend of seniors and freshmen is clicking on all cylinders.

Nevertheless it wasn’t at all times that manner.

Early within the season, the Wildcats struggled to search out their stride, shedding six of their first 9 non-conference matches.

Then, simply as SEC play was about to start out, Rutherford sustained eye and ankle accidents that stored her out of six matches, together with the primary assembly with Tennessee, Kentucky’s solely SEC defeat.

“We had so many individuals who had been moved and shuffled somewhere else,” mentioned Rutherford, an all-SEC choice, one in all a conference-high 5 for Kentucky. “However they rose to the event. As a workforce, that simply made us nearer and made us belief the method much more.”

Few rose to the event like DeLeye and Tuozzo.

Whereas Tuozzo made the SEC all-freshman workforce, DeLeye was named the convention freshman of the 12 months and likewise was on the all-SEC workforce. On Tuesday, she was named AVCA Southeast Regional freshman of the 12 months.

Brooklyn DeLeye/Tyler Ruth, UK Athletics

DeLeye, a 6-foot-2 product of Topeka, Kansas, ranks eighth within the convention in kills per set (3.71) and is hitting .298. She additionally averages 1.74 digs per set and has 22 complete blocks.

“Nothing surprises me with Brooklyn,” Skinner advised the assembled media on campus earlier than the workforce left for Nebraska. “She desires to do one thing a bit of bit higher each single day. When you’ve gotten that kind of athletic potential on high of the drive and persistence and keenness, nice issues are going to occur.

“You by no means know with freshmen how they’re going to answer the pressures and the expectations, however Brooklyn has taken that in stride and labored tremendous arduous.”

Junior setter Emma Grome, who led the nation with 12.18 assists per set and likewise earned all-SEC honors, has a front-row seat to the DeLeye present.

Emma Grome/Caleb Bowlin, UK Athletics

“I imply, she simply continues to get higher,” Grome mentioned. “From her front-row assaults being so deadly to her back-row assault actually coming a good distance this season, and that’s been large for our offense, too, having that fourth possibility when it’s wanted.”

Mentioned DeLeye: “I had loads of objectives that I had in thoughts, however simply truly finishing these and getting that recognition has been simply so surreal. Clearly, I didn’t count on that. I simply got here to play volleyball.”

Rutherford, DeLeye and Grome shaped solely a part of the Wildcats’ assault. Tealer, who earned all-conference honors for the fifth time, led the SEC in hitting (.406) whereas averaging 2.25 kills per set. Goetzinger contributed 2.63 kills per set, and junior outdoors Erin Lamb added 2.23 kills per set.

That offensive variety, Grome mentioned, is what makes the Wildcats so tough to defend. The Wildcats ranked second within the SEC in hitting proportion (.290), second in assists (13.52) and second in kills (14.52).

“I believe it makes it that rather more particular when you’ve gotten so many good and athletic hitters in your workforce,” Grome mentioned. “It provides me loads of freedom and creativity to have the ability to run what I need to run with the offense.”

After all, the offense can’t work if the protection is letting balls hit the ground. Junior libero Eleanor Beavin, the fifth all-conference choice, leads the again row with 4.05 digs per set, which ranked third within the SEC. And giving her loads of assist is Tuozzo.

A product of The Woodlands, Texas, Tuozzo stepped proper in and chipped in 2.15 digs per set. She additionally served a team-leading 33 aces.

“Our again row has been unimaginable this 12 months,” Grome mentioned. “They’ve simply been making performs left and proper. One of many issues we speak about so much isn’t just getting the ball up however having dig precision and digging excessive and to the center of the court docket so we will run all of our choices always.

“Molly has been unimaginable at that. She makes performs that, you assume the ball goes to be down, and, someway, she will get it up.”

All of that has mixed to convey the Wildcats so far and get there as, arguably, the most well liked workforce within the nation. It stays to be seen if they will proceed to journey that wave all the way in which to the title.

Ought to the Wildcats hoist the championship {hardware} in Tampa, it could be much less of a shock to the volleyball world than the primary time it occurred. In 2021, Kentucky turned the primary SEC workforce to win a nationwide title, crashing the get together that typically had been reserved for the Penn States, Stanfords and Nebraskas of the world.

Rutherford, the high-flying 6-footer from Missouri Metropolis, Texas, mentioned she is conscious that these Wildcats might need been seen as an anomaly. However she thinks Kentucky volleyball — and SEC volleyball — are right here to remain among the many NCAA’s higher echelon.

“I assume outdoors trying in, it was new for everybody else,” she mentioned. “However, yeah, undoubtedly outliers and underdogs in that event.”

Added Grome: “I believe the SEC continues to develop yearly and get increasingly aggressive, and I believe we would like, collectively as a bunch, to point out the NCAA that. And I believe that begins by having eight groups make the event. That’s large, greater than every other convention.

“With the addition of Texas (the 2022 nationwide champion) and Oklahoma subsequent 12 months, it’s going to be that rather more aggressive, and I believe it’s undoubtedly one of many strongest conferences within the nation.”

Three SEC groups stay among the many ultimate 16 (Tennessee performs Texas at Stanford).

“Event time is completely completely different from every other kind of season,” Rutherford mentioned, “since you by no means know when your final likelihood is and your final recreation is. There’s a degree of depth to it.

“However we don’t must do an excessive amount of as a result of, at event time, we simply must play our recreation, and that may carry us very far. … Adrenaline comes, however I believe that’s pure, and I’d be frightened should you’re not anxious and nervous.”

The prospect of going through Arkansas for the third time — and making an attempt to buck the dreaded axiom that it’s powerful to beat a workforce thrice in the identical season — doesn’t appear to faze anybody in blue and white a method or one other.

“It’s going to come back all the way down to who can play the cleanest and most aggressively,” Grome mentioned. “Each time we play Arkansas, it’s a extremely enjoyable, aggressive match. They’re a extremely good defensive workforce, and so they make some loopy performs. And I believe we do, too, and I believe that’s what makes these video games so enjoyable is you already know you’re going to see loads of lengthy rallies.

“It occurs each time we play them. I believe it’s an excellent matchup.”

Rutherford mentioned Kentucky reminds her of that title workforce, with upperclassmen and freshmen working in tandem.

“I believe this workforce, now we have loads of expertise, and our senior class are individuals who have been in this system and actually dialed in to what Kentucky volleyball is all about,” she mentioned. “We simply shared that with a tremendous freshman class.

“I simply really feel like these connections are comparable as a result of we had a tremendous senior class my freshman 12 months and a tremendous freshman class, and people had been huge elements within the event run.

“I undoubtedly assume we’re a reputable risk, particularly having a nationwide championship below our belt from three years in the past. However that simply makes us need it much more for the individuals who haven’t skilled that.”





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