Awards, Wins Keep Coming for UK Volleyball

Brooklyn DeLeye (Vicky Graff Photo)

Kentucky volleyball seems to be peaking at just the right time for Sunday’s showdown at unbeaten Texas that likely will decide who wins the Southeastern Conference championship this season.

Coach Craig Skinner’s team has won 13 straight matches and is 16-2 overall and 9-0 in SEC play as it seeks at least a tie of a ninth straight SEC championship. Texas, ranked second nationally, is 18-0 overall and 10-0 in conference play.

Kentucky plays host to Vanderbilt Friday while Texas will be at No. 9 Texas A&M the same night before Sunday’s showdown at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN with Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak and Madison Fitzpatrick on the call.

Freshman sensation Kassie O’Brien was named the SEC Player of the Week as well as the SEC Setter of the Week for her dominating play in wins over Alabama and Mississippi State. All-American Brooklyn DeLeye was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week also.

O’Brien has dominated the league awards recently and had a school-record 50 assists in a three-set match in a sweep of Alabama. She broke the record held by former national champion and national player of the year Madison Lilley set in 2018. O’Brien’s previous best total at UK was 49 assists against SMU and she has had 40 or more assists in six straight matches going into Friday’s match with Vanderbilt.

O’Brien averaged 13.71 assists per set against Alabama and Mississippi State with a combined 96 assists. Against Mississippi State she also had 15 digs.

Many of O’Brien’s assists come when she sets DeLeye, one of the nation’s best attackers. The  junior averaged 5.29 kills per set in the two wins last week and with her eighth and ninth double-digit kill matches.

She had her fifth double-double of the year against Mississippi State with  21 kills and 10 digs when she hit over .300. She had 16 kills against Alabama and hit .364. She has four double-doubles in SEC play this year with two coming in the last three matches.