Cats Rally to Beat Vols in Front of Sold Out Crowd (W/ Photos)

Kentucky coach Craig Skinner pleaded with Kentucky basketball fans Friday night to help sell out Memorial Coliseum for Sunday’s match with No. 19 Tennessee. Earlier in the week he stood on top of a table at his press conference explaining why UK fans should turn out in a big way for the match.

Skinner got what he wanted as 6,236 fans — a sellout in Memorial Coliseum — turned out Sunday. However, he almost got something he didn’t want —a loss.

Kentucky jumped in front of tin set one before the Vols rallied to beat No 2 Kentucky 25-22. To make matters worse, outside hitter Eva Hudson went down with an ankle injury late in the set and started the second set on the bench.

However, this gritty, resilient team didn’t miss a beat as came back to win the next three sets and beat the Vols 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-18) to remain unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play. It was  UK’s sixth top 25 win this season and its 17th straight win with two regular season matches remaining.

It was the biggest crowd to see UK play in Lexington since 1993 and the fourth time UK has played in front of more than 6,000 fans this season. The two bigger crowds in UK volleyball history were from 1983 and 1993 when Memorial Coliseum had the older, bigger  configuration model.

Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye, both semifinalists for national player of the year,  hit .381 and .211 respectfully and Kentucky hit .252 as a team. Hudson hobbled around the court well enough to lead UK with 19 kills, five digs and four blocks.

DeLeye had 18 kills, five digs and two blocks.

Freshman setter Kassie O’Brien had her usual performance with  40 assists, 12 digs and four blocks.

“I love her decision making. There are situations where you see her set the middle, set the right side, set the back side. She finds opportunities for her hitters,” ESPN analyst Leah Edmond, a former UK All-American, said.

Molly Tuozzo had 12 digs and five assists.

Skinner said Hudson’s injury forced other players to make bigger contributions. Sophomore Asia Thigpen had six kills while Lizzie Carr had five and Kennedy Washington three. Thigpen also had four deals and two blocks while Carr had five and Washington six.

Kentucky improved its record to 20-2 overall and 13-0 in Southeastern Conference play with matches remaining against Oklahoma (7-6) and Arkansas (1-12). One win will secure a tie of the SEC title and UK will win the outright title if it wins both matches.

UK plays Oklahoma on Friday at 7 p.m. before closing the regular season Sunday at 1 p.m. against Arkansas.

Kentucky is going for at least a share of a ninth straight SEC title.

“It is a big deal to continue that tradition and you don’t want to be the team to end it,” Edmond said.