Ava Sarafa (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky opens the volleyball season Saturday at Lipscomb and then takes on No. 1 Nebraska Sunday in the Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville — a match that will be nationally televised on ABC-TV at noon.
Kentucky is a preseason top 10 team and favored by the Southeastern Conference coaches to win the SEC championship again with the return of All-American hitter Brooklyn Deleye, last year’s SEC Player of the Year, along with libero Molly Tuozzo, a preseason all-SEC pick, and Purdue transfer Eva Hudson, one of the best players in the Big Ten last season.
However, Kentucky lost setter Emma Grome, a former SEC player of the year and multi All-American, off last year’s team and coach Craig Skinner has yet to announce whether redshirt sophomore Ava Sarafa or true freshman Kassie O’Brien will start at setter.
“Craig won’t tell us whether it’s going to be Avas or Kassie,” junior Molly Berezowitz said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “We all play with them every day. I feel like there’s a reason Craig’s not saying anything because I really don’t think anyone really knows.
“They go back and forth. They’re both very different setters, and they both bring a lot to the court, And so honestly, we really don’t know (who will start). We love them both, and like they’re such supporters of each other. No matter what, I know the other one will be a good teammate to the other one. I think we are going to need them both for the start of the season until we really find one that’s working well for our team.”
Tuozzo came to UK the same year Sarafa did while O’Brien got on campus in January. Of course, former national player of the year Madison Lilley, who led UK to its only national title, and Grome both started every match for four years.
“Ava knows the speed of the game. She’s been here for two years, so I think that can be sort of a difference maker in some ways,” Tuozzo said. But in reality, I don’t think that. Kassie put in so many big games for her club team for years, so I don’t think that can be like a determining factor. But Ava definitely does have an edge in experience.”
Playing two setters would basically be like a football coach using two quarterbacks. It could work but has seldom been done and Skinner has never been prone to go with two setters.
“You can play two, but I don’t think Craig is really big into that,” Berezowitz said. “I don’t think that’s really how Kentucky volleyball is. As long as I’ve watched them, they’ve never been like that. You definitely can do it, but I don’t think that would really work for our team right now.
“Just one of them is probably going to run the show and then the other one if we need them, they’ll go in and do their job. It’s much like a backup quarterback that just has to help the starter, inform them, and just be at their side the whole time for support and they are both like that.”
