Eva Hudson became only the fifth UK volleyball player ever to be named national player of the week. (Vicky Graff Photo)
All-American Brooklyn DeLeye was a finalist for national player of the year in 2024 when Kentucky volleyball reached the Elite Eight before losing.
With the graduation of All-American setter Emma Grome, DeLeye certainly was going to be UK’s star player this season. However, that didn’t stop her from trying to get Eva Hudson, who led the Big Ten in 2024 with 4.81 kills per set at Purdue, to transfer to UK.
“I committed to Notre Dame out of high school and then went back into recruitment and went to Purdue before deciding to transfer,” Hudson said.
Coach Craig Skinner had tried to recruit her out of high school but the Ft. Wayne, Ind., native told him no and picked Notre Dame. When she opted out of Notre Dame, Skinner tried to recruit her again but she picked Purdue.
“He has built such a great program and surrounds himself with such great people,” Hudson said after arriving at UK. “I was talking to Brooklyn on the phone and she was so excited that I got excited and here I am.”
Skinner might have been ever more excited and Hudson has been as good — or maybe even better — than he expected.
Hudson was named the AVCA National Player of the Week after UK swept Vanderbilt and then No. 2 Texas last week. She became only the fifth UK player ever to win national player of the week honors and the first since Leah Edmond and Alli Stumler both got the same honor in 2019. Edmond also earned the national honor in 2017. Before that the only UK players to win national player of the year honors were Krista Robinson in 1993 and Lauren Rapp in 2010.
Hudson hit .478 in the two wins with 14 kills in a sweep of Vanderbilt and her fifth 20-plus kill match of the season Sunday at Texas. Hudson averaged 5.67 kills per set on the wins.
She also had 11 digs in both matches as she led Kentucky in both kills per set with 5.67 and digs per set with 3.67.
Hudson is averaging 4.62 kills per set in SEC play this season and has double-figure kills in every SEC match.
Hudson has played in 117 matches and 432 sets in her collegiate career and has 1,938 kills with four regular-season matches left before postseason play and also had 959 career digs as she should soon go over 2,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
Kentucky has climbed to No. 2 in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll, UK’s highest ranking since finishing the national championship season in 2020 ranked No. 1.
The Wildcats play at Missouri Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and will host at 5 p.m. Sunday on ESPN. Kentucky has won 15 matches in a row and is 11-0 in conference play.
