Vicky Graff Photo
Brooklyn DeLeye has gone from Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023 to SEC Player of the Year in 2024.
The sophomore outside hitter became the sixth different UK player to win SEC Player of the Year honors, including current UK teammate Emma Grome in 2022. Other UK winners have been Sarah Rumley (2008), Leah Edmond (2018, 2019), Madison Lilley (2020) and Alli Stumler (2021).
“She is a special player and she keeps getting better,” Kentucky coach Craig Skinner said last week. “She is never satisfied. She is always wanting to be better and capture something that she has not done before. That is a contagious trait for our team.
“This is just the beginning for her. She is going to have a long career in this sport.”
DeLeye averages 4.74 kills per set and is hitting .282 this season. She also has 46 service aces.
Skinner was named SEC Coach of the Year after leading UK to an eighth straight conference title even though UK lost its first conference match at Auburn and two-time defending national champion Texas joined the SEC this year.
It was Skinner’s sixth SEC Coach of the Year award. He has 300 career wins after the Cats went 14-2 in league play this year.
“It certainly has been a lot of fun this year. The players and staff have been phenomenal contributing to another championship,” Skinner said. “It doesn’t get old at all.”
DeLeye was joined on the all-SEC first team by Grome, who leads the conference with 11.17 assists per set. She averages 2.23 digs and 0.53 blocks per set.
Sophomore libero Molly Tuozzo was named by the coaches to the second team. She has 10 or more digs in 23 matches, including the last 18 straight. She averages 3.99 digs per set.
Asia Thigpen and Brooke Bultema, who averages a team high 1.01 blocks per set, were named to the SEC all-freshman team.
