Emma Grome (4) had 44 assists in UK's NCAA Tournament win over Loyola-Chicago. (UK Athletics Photo)
Playing Kentucky was a far different experience for Loyola-Chicago outside hitter Karlie McNabb.
“This is by far one of the most physical teams we have ever seen. They are a very good team and very talented,” said McNabb, the A-10 Player of the Year who had 13 kills and six digs, after Kentucky swept the first-round NCAA Tournament match 25-17, 25-14, 25-20 Thursday night.
“They don’t have many missing pieces in their offense in any rotation. They have people who can score out of any position which is a really cool and exciting thing to play a team like that because we can learn a lot from it.”
Loyola coach Amanda Berkley was just as impressed with Kentucky, which will play Western Kentucky Friday at 7 p.m. EST in the second round for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen (Western swept Bowling Green in Thursday’s first match). Like McNabb, the coach cited UK’s “physical” play as difficult to handle.
“They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They definitely were a very good serving and passing team, and so it was definitely a lot tougher to match. We usually have a good serving team, and they were able to pass pretty well against our serves,” Berkley said.
Kentucky setter Emma Grome, the SEC Player of the Year, had 44 assists, five digs and three blocks.
“When I was watching video with Emma before the match, I didn’t want to give her specific places to go early. Sometimes, we have a game plan where we go outside first then come back to the middle, or we might go to the middle then the outside. I felt like Loyola was going to scheme and get a head start on some things, so I wanted to feel that out and I think Emma did a good job of getting the ball to the right people at the right times,” Kentucky coach Craig Skinner said.
“The balance got better as the match went on. Adanna (Rollins) was hot early, obviously Bella (Bell). Then, you saw the balance as Z (Azhani Tealer) got hot, Lambo (Erin Lamb) got hot. It’s definitely an important piece in the tournament. “
Rollins finished with 15 kills while Reagan Rutherford had 11, Bell nine, Tealer nine and Lamb eight.
Kentucky has not lost a set in four straight matches since being swept in the first of a two-game road trip to Florida.
“I mean nobody likes to get swept on the road especially against an opponent like Florida, so I think that definitely kicked us in gear a little bit. We’ve been working really hard in the gym, staying focused and intentional so – it’s been good,” Grome said.
“I think we just realized how good, well not realized but enjoyed how it felt to win, to sweep a team especially as good as Florida and we just wanted to keep going like that,” Bell said. “So we’ve been going at it at practice, preparing for our next opponent so we can keep feeling like that.”
Kentucky will have had less than 24 hours off the court when it plays Western Kentucky tonight. Last season UK lost at home in the second round of the NCAA.
Grome said the players would “eat, sleep, watch some film and rest” to make sure the team has the “right mindset” to face the Hilltoppers.
Skinner knows his team (21-7) is going to be facing a “good” team tonight.
“Whether it’s Western Kentucky across their chest, or somebody else, they’re really good. It’s exciting for our state. If you look at the quality of volleyball across our state, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
“You can look at Western, us, Louisville. Then, you see all the kids growing up playing here, that’ll be cool for them to see a match like this. Western runs a very unique system, and you have to be ready for it. They’ll play hard, just like Loyola, so it’ll be fun.”
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Go Cats!