The No. 12 Kentucky Volleyball team secured its eighth consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship on Sunday, defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks in a decisive 3-0 sweep (26-24, 25-20, 25-13) during Senior Day at Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky will conclude its regular season on Wednesday evening against Missouri at 8:30 p.m. ET. A victory over the Tigers would grant Kentucky the outright championship. The match will be broadcast live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app from the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Missouri.
In Sunday’s match, Brooklyn DeLeye led the Wildcats with 13 kills, while Megan Wilson contributed 12 kills, hitting an impressive .500 on 22 attempts with just one error. As a team, Kentucky boasted a hitting percentage of .312, including a remarkable .462 in the third set. The Wildcats’ defense was formidable, limiting Arkansas to a mere .130 hitting percentage, with no Razorbacks reaching double figures in kills.
Defensively, Molly Tuozzo was a standout, recording 19 digs to lead all players, while Emma Grome added 10 digs. DeLeye also achieved her sixth double-double of the season with 10 digs. Brooke Bultema made her mark defensively with five blocks, and Wilson contributed four blocks alongside her 12 kills.
With this championship, Kentucky extends its streak to eight consecutive SEC titles, the longest in history among Power Five institutions, and marks the program’s 13th conference title overall.
The first set was tightly contested, with neither team gaining more than a three-point lead. Kentucky reached set point at 24-22, but Arkansas responded with two quick points, prompting a timeout. The Wildcats regained composure, closing the set with a kill from DeLeye and a block by Grome and Bultema.
In the second set, Kentucky maintained control, trailing for only three points. A 5-0 run put the Wildcats ahead 14-11, forcing Arkansas to call a timeout. Kentucky extended its lead to 23-19 after a service error from Arkansas, and set point was clinched when Jordyn Dailey finished off an overpass, giving Kentucky a 25-20 win.
The third set saw Kentucky pull away from a close 12-10 score, scoring 11 of the next 12 points to lead 21-11. The match concluded with an Arkansas service error, sealing Kentucky’s victory and securing at least a share of the SEC title.
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