Emma Grome, center, had 50 assists, 10 digs, three blocks, two kills and one ace against Missouri. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Craig Skinner is one of the nation’s best college volleyball coaches and his instincts told him Thursday that his team might be in trouble even though it won the first two sets against Missouri in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals in Pittsburgh.
Kentucky won both sets 25-20 but in set two Missouri, a team Kentucky beat twice during the regular season, came back from a big deficit. Skinner sensed then Missouri had gained momentum — and he was right.
The Tigers dominated Kentucky 25-16 in the third set thanks to a rare 11-0 run over the Southeastern Conference champion.
“That happened the last time we played them,” Kentucky sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye, the SEC Player of the Year, said on ESPN after the match. “The third set was not what we wanted obviously. I think we responded and played our own game.”
Responded? Kentucky dominated behind the play of its two All-Americans, DeLeye and setter Emma Grome, a senior and all-time assists leader at Kentucky.
Kentucky also erased a bitter memory from 2023 when it beat Arkansas twice during the season but then left the Razorbacks come back from two sets down in the NCAA regional semifinals to end UK’s season.
“We really wanted this game and it really showed,” DeLeye, who had 22 kills and hit .419, said. “Experiencing what we did last year, we didn’t want that to happen.”
DeLeye said Skinner did not make any dramatic changes for the fourth set.
“I don’t think we really changed that much. It just started clicking more. The third set was not what we wanted,” DeLeye said. “We just responded and played our game.”
Megan Wilson added 13 blocks while Brooke Bultema has 10. Grome was her usual sensational self with 50 assists, 10 digs, three blocks, two kills and one ace. DeLeye also had three aces.
Not only did Grome keep Missouri shots from hitting the floor, sophomore libero had 11 digs and senior Eleanor Beavin had 10 including several spectacular digs that led directly to UK points.
Now the Cats get to play host Pittsburgh in the regional final Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 for a berth in the Final Four in Louisville next week. Pitt (31-1) is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA and trying to get to the Final Four for the fourth straight year.
Pitt had a tougher than expected match Thursday beating Oregon in five sets. Pitt’s only loss this season came at SMU on Oct. 12 when it lost 3-2 three days after sweeping SMU in Pittsburgh. Pitt has two wins over Louisville, a team that swept UK. However, UK swept SMU in Dallas Sept. 13 and Missouri won at SMU in postseason play.
“We’ve just got to clean up the little things,” DeLeye said. “I think we’re ready for it.”
Pitt is led by Olivia Babcock, the ACC Player of the Year. The sophomore led the ACC in points per set (5.44), kills per set (4.52) and aces (0.69). She has 70 aces this season. Babcock had a career-high 31 kills against Oregon
Babcock along with teammates Rachel Fairbanks and Torrey Stafford are all semifinalists for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year. All three were All-Americans last season. Stafford had 14 kills and 12 digs against Oregon while Fairbanks had a season-high 54 assists to go over the 3,000-mark in her career.
Pitt will be playing in its fifth straight regional final. Kentucky is in the regional final for the first time since its national championship season four years ago.
