Streaky Minnesota is Next NCAA Foe for Kentucky

Brooklyn DeLeye had 15 kills, five digs and three service aces in Thursday’s win over Cleveland State. (UK Athletics Photo)

Julia Hanson had 13 kills and Lydia Grote added 12 as Minnesota beat Western Kentucky in four sets (25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Thursday night at Memorial Coliseum to earn a berth against Kentucky tonight in the second round.

Host Kentucky swept Cleveland State and will now face the Gophers (21-10) who own regular-season wins over Texas, which swept UK, and Wisconsin,

Melani Shaffmaster had 29 assists and 15 digs for Minnesota while Zeynep Palabiyik had 18 digs for Minnesota.

After his team’s win, Kentucky coach Craig Skinner shared a few insights into Minnesota.

“I know they are a good team and they’ve got great wins this year,” Skinner said. “Tomorrow they are going to hit the ball extremely hard and they are going to put some tough serves on us.

“They’re a team of streaks, they score a lot of points in a row, and they can give up some points and I think that’s been shown all day today in the NCAA Tournament.”

Minnesota is used to facing big-time competition playing in the loaded Big 10.

“There’s no games where you can take the night off so, even in practice when we’re just playing 6-on-6, both sides bring it every single day. All of our players show up every single day,” Minnesota outside hitter Mckenna Wucherer said. “We’re getting challenged day-in and day-out and that prepares us for the biggest moments, especially here on the NCAA stage.”

Western coach Travis Hudson could not complain about his team’s play after it out-hit, out-blocked and out-dug Minnesota.

“It sure doesn’t happen very often in our sport, but it happened today,” he said about Western’s stat domination. “Serving obviously is going to be a big question. I’m with you on that. I mean, serving is the area you’ve got to attack Minnesota, and we just, you know, I don’t know.

“I don’t know if we talked about it too much or what we did, but we just weren’t good from the service line, clearly.”

Minnesota coach Keegan Coyle said the Gophers were not used to being out blocked.

“Most nights we are leading in that category. The speed negated our length at times, and we have a good offense with their middles, which is something you don’t see every day but something they practice every day,” Coyle said.

“I thought we had some people in their first tournament game who had nerves and didn’t look totally like themselves but now that is out of the way I expect a better version of them tomorrow.”

Kentucky senior Erin Lamb said the Cats have been working on their serves all season because they knew it would be key in games like the one tonight. She also knows any game now could be her last just like UK’s other seniors do.

“You just try to enjoy it. It is a great privilege to be in this position,” she said. “We try to play for each other and have nothing to lose.”

Kentucky could also get a boost tonight from freshman Asia Thigpen. She has been out with a knee injury for the second time this season but played briefly in sets two and three in Thursday night’s win.

“She has been practicing,” Skinner said. “Getting  her experience in NCAA Tournament play was important. She has been good for the last few days.”