Eva Hudson, right, and Brooklyn DeLeye are a dynamic duo for Kentucky. (Vicky Graff Photo)
When a team has two players as dominant as junior Brooklyn DeLeye and senior Eva Hudson it can make it difficult for either player when it comes time for national awards.
DeLeye and Hudson have led Kentucky to a No. 2 national ranking and have Kentucky on the verge of a ninth straight Southeastern Conference championship.
Chris Shoals, assistant director of athletic communications and public relations for UK volleyball and softball, admitted on WPBK-FM Thursday that scenario is one that he does worry about.
“It is a situation we think about and I would be lying if I said we had not discussed it. I would still be stunned if they are not on the national player of the year semifinalist list announced today,” Shoals said.
He was right as DeLeye and Hudson were both named to the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association semifinalist list for 2025 National Player of the Year given to the nation’s best player. Kentucky and No. 1 Nebraska were the only teams with two players on the list. Four finalists will be named Dec. 15 and the Player of the Year will be announced Dec. 19 at the AVCA Convention in Kansas City.
“The hard part will be some people will think Brooklyn has had a good year but how would it have been without Eva. That could make people more apt to vote for someone else,” Shoals said. “Some voters go by stats and then could vote for Brooklyn or Eva.
“The problems with having two players this good and one of them being national player of the year are real but it is a nice problem to have. So it could absolutely be a problem but our No. 1 thing is to try and make sure we give them a chance to win the award but we are aware they could very well split votes.”
DeLeye, a Player of the Year finalist in 2024, is leading Kentucky with a 4.77 kills per set mark and is hitting .293 with a team-high 334 kills this year. She is also averaging 2.19 digs per set this season. She had 20 kills in Thursday night’s win at Missouri.
Hudson leads Kentucky in SEC kills per set in league matches only and is hitting .307 with 4.51 kills per set number and had 21 against Missouri. Hudson also averages 2.54 digs and 0.39 blocks per set.
Kentucky, coming off a win at Missouri Thursday night, hosts No. 19 Tennessee at Memorial Coliseum. The match on ESPN will start at 5 p.m.
