Kentucky volleyball receives 2-seed in NCAA Tournament; 5 Wildcats make All-SEC
After locking up the program’s seventh consecutive Southeastern Conference championship on Saturday, Kentucky volleyball has earned a two-seed (and the No. 8 overall seed) in the upcoming 2023 NCAA Tournament.
The news was announced on Sunday night during the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show on ESPN. The two-seeded Wildcats will take on Wofford in the opening round of the bracket’s Upper Left Region. The match will take place on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. EST inside Rupp Arena. With a win, Kentucky would also host the second-round matchup against the winner of No. 7 James Madison-Baylor.
Nebraska was named the Region’s top overall seed, followed by Arkansas as the three-seed and Florida as the four-seed. Kentucky has beaten both Arkansas and Florida twice already this season but fell to Nebraska on the road early on in the year.
No. 10 Kentucky closed the schedule on a 16-game winning streak, capping off the regular season with a sweep of No. 20 Florida over the weekend. UK finished with a 19-7 final record, including a 16-1 mark in the SEC.
Stay tuned to the KSR YouTube channel later this evening for a live episode of our volleyball show, “Point Kentucky”, as Hunter Mitchell and Leah Edmond break down the bracket and Kentucky’s path to a second national championship. They’ll also be joined by assistant coach Merideth Jewell during the show.
Kentucky dominates All-SEC awards
After winning the SEC for the seventh straight season, it was no surprise to see so many Wildcats receive several Southeastern Conference postseason awards as voted on by the league’s coaches. In total, five Kentucky players were tabbed to the 18-person All-SEC team — the most of any program (Arkansas and Tennessee both finished with three apiece) — with two major individual awards also going to the ‘Cats.
Outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye was named SEC Freshman of the Year while head coach Craig Skinner split SEC Coach of the Year honors with Jason Watson (Arkansas), Dawn Sullivan (Missouri), and Eve Rackham Watt (Tennessee). Below are Kentucky’s five All-SEC selections that were announced on Sunday afternoon.
Eleanor Beavin | All-SEC
4.33 digs per set 0.53 assists per set 0.30 aces per set
Brooklyn DeLeye | SEC Freshman of the Year, All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman Team
4.24 kills per set .335 hitting percentage 2.26 digs per set
Emma Grome | All-SEC
NCAA leader in assists per set with 12.68 1.85 digs per set 0.42 blocks per set
Reagan Rutherford | All-SEC
3.36 kills per set .336 hitting percentage 1.06 blocks per set
Azhani Tealer | All-SEC
Fifth-straight year earning All-SEC honors 1.02 blocks per set .404 hitting percentage
Molly Tuozzo | SEC All-Freshman Team
2.30 digs per set 19 aces, one off the team lead 0.38 assists per set
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