GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a marquee Southeastern Conference (SEC) women’s volleyball matchup this weekend, the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats defeated the No. 20 Florida Gators in four sets (25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-18) at the Exactech Arena.
The Wildcats’ Sunday victory marked their tenth consecutive win, while the Gators, despite a resilient effort, succumbed to their third straight loss before a home crowd of 3,260.
Read more: Big East volleyball: No. 17 Creighton clean sweep No. 25 Marquette
Brooklyn DeLeye Impressive For Kentucky
Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, a freshman, from Topeka, Kansas, and senior Reagan Rutherford from Missouri City, Texas, spearheaded the attack with 15 and 13 kills, respectively. DeLeye, also notching 10 digs, recorded her fifth double-double of the season.
Setter Emma Grome’s 51 assists were crucial, contributing to the team’s .253 hitting percentage. Grome, who hails from Loveland, Ohio, also added nine digs and two blocks to her tally.
Louisville native Eleanor Beavin contributed 14 digs, Megan Wilson added eight kills, and Azhani Tealer had seven kills and five blocks for Kentucky, now 13-7 overall and 11-1 in SEC play.
Kennedy Martin Good Form Continues
Florida’s Kennedy Martin, a freshman standout from Fort Mill, S.C., continued her standout debut season with 27 kills and a .432 hitting efficiency.
This performance places her at the top of the Gators’ record books for most kills by a freshman in the first 21 matches, as per the official Gators website.
Elli McKissock and Kennedy Muff each recorded double-digit digs, with 19 and 11, respectively. Muff also provided 47 assists, aiding the Gators to a .229 hitting percentage at the Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Florida out-blocked Kentucky with 13 team blocks, led by Gabbi Essix’s seven. However, Kentucky’s .419 hitting in the final set, featuring 16 kills, highlighted their capacity to finish strongly.
AC Fitzpatrick set a new personal best with six blocks for the Gators.
Kentucky Fends off Florida’s Challenge
The opening set saw Florida in the lead until Kentucky’s late push clinched it. Florida responded in the second set with a 25-20 win, limiting Kentucky to a .000 hitting percentage.
Kentucky rebounded to take the next two sets, with a total of 36 kills, to secure the match in this top-20 showdown.
The Wildcats next face Auburn on Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET, looking to maintain their streak and extend the run to 11 wins.
Florida aims to recover in their next home game against LSU on Nov. 10, with the first serve at 7:00 p.m. ET.
