Another Gold Medal and MVP for Brooklyn DeLeye

USA Volleyball Photo

A year ago Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye not only made the USA Volleyball U21 team but she won a gold medal and was named the most valuable player and best spiker at the 2024 NORCECA Women’s U21 Continental Championship tournament in Toronto.

DeLeye, the 2023 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and 2024 SEC Player of the Year, was back playing for the USA national team at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup in Costa Rica this month. Her team again won five straight matches to take the gold medal. DeLeye was again  named MVP and best outside hitter.  DeLeye scored eight points on seven kills and a block in gold medal game.

DeLeye’s parents, Janel and John, were in Costa Rica just like they were in Toronto last year — “Toronto was a lot easier trip and there is not a lot to do in the middle of Costa Rica,” John DeLeye said.

While the tourney had a lot of the same players and teams, John DeLeye was optimistic about Team USA’s chances. However, he said Chile, which did not play in the 2024 event, and Canada were both strong opponents.

“I thought Brooklyn played very well,” John DeLeye said. “We played Chile in the pool round and she did very well. We were up nine points and the coach pulled her out, which was understandable. Then Chile came back with five straight plays, so Brooklyn was back in.”

BYU coach Heather Olmstead was the team’s head coach and John DeLeye believes it is always good to learn from different coaches.

“Obviously they are college coaches picked to lead these teams. She played multiple sports growing up and knows you can learn good things from coaches and also see things you do not want to take and go from that. But I think it was another great experience for her,” he said.

DeLeye is a major reason Kentucky has been picked to win or share a ninth straight SEC championship. She was one of the nation’s top four players last year and is already on the watch list for the nation’s top player this year.

Kentucky coach Craig Skinner is not worried about DeLeye not pushing herself or letting success spoil her.

“Brooklyn challenges herself all the time and needs to learn to give herself some grace,” Skinner said. “She’s not always going to be perfect, and Brooklyn strives to be perfect all the time.

“So how do we find that balance of motivation and understanding that there’s learning opportunities in between and little things that can help take her to the next level.”

Skinner said playing for USA Volleyball is a different experience because “every athlete is playing with their armpits at the top of the net” and she has to learn how to adapt.

“How do I score when I can’t pound it straight to the floor? How do I get a little bit better at serve receive? You’re not going to overhaul someone like that, but keep them motivated. How can they become a better leader by example? How can they say things at the right time that might help someone that was in her shoes two years ago,” Skinner said.

“But some of it is also bringing someone like (Purdue transfer) Eva Hudson into the program that led the Big Ten in kills. ‘Oh, she’s pretty good. I better step it up today.’ That’s just another motivation for Brooklyn.”

DeLeye got back to Kansas Monday, spent Tuesday with her family and then was scheduled to head back to UK today.

“She likes staying busy,” John DeLeye said.