Emma Grome, center, believes UK is peaking at the right time. (UK Athletics Photo)
Emma Grome has had a historical career at Kentucky and is certainly playing her very best going into NCAA Tournament play.
The senior setter was named the Southeastern Conference Setter of the Week for the 21st time in her career Monday and was also named the SEC overall player of the week for the third time this season and 13th time in her career.
Grome averaged 13.5 assists per set and had 54 total when Kentucky beat No. 24 Missouri on the road to clinch the outright 2024 SEC Championship. Grome also had a service ace and eight digs in the match. The 54-assist match for Grome is two off of her season high and marks her fifth match this season with 50 or more assists going into Thursday’s NCAA match against Cleveland State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Coliseum.
Western Kentucky and Minnesota will play the first match at 4:30 p.m. Kentucky is a No. 3 seed overall and Minnesota is a No. 6 seed. If both win, they will meet in the regional final Friday at 7 p.m.
Kentucky had to win at Missouri last week to secure sole possession of the SEC title, its eighth straight regular-season championship.
“We let up a little bit in the third set but we have a lot of fight and intensity,” Grome said of the four-set win. “We got down 16-10 in the fourth set but we have got that dog in us. We have that fight and just go do it and execute.
“I think we are peaking at a really good time. We are going to keep working on a couple of things. We are in a good spot and have got to keep the same intensity and grit going into the NCAA.”
Grome said everything from the team’s summer exhibition trip to Japan to a brutal non-conference schedule prepared UK for postseason play.
“We have played people that are incredibly scrappy and digging everything and also teams that had monster blockers,” Grome said. “We should be prepared for anything we see in the tournament but we have had about everything thrown at us this season.
“The beauty of our schedule was that we got to see all the offenses and defenses that you can. But we also have to be really solid in our game and what we bring to the table.”
