DeLeye’s Heroics Overpower No. 15 Florida as Kentucky Wins, 3-1
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye had 24 kills and an ace to seal the match at 29-28 in the fourth set, her second ace of the match, as the No. 12 Kentucky Volleyball team beat No. 15 Florida 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 30-28) inside Exactech Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Kentucky had two match points in the fourth set, including at 24-23, but after what looked to be a match-ending kill by Jordyn Dailey, an over the plain violation was called on UK and the point went to UF to square the set at 24 all. Florida ended up having set points on four different occasions in the fourth set to push things to a fifth, but Kentucky’s defense held strong and the Wildcats won the last three points of the match capped by a Brooklyn DeLeye ace to end the match.
Sunday’s result ends a four-match losing streak for Kentucky, who is now 7-6 on the season and sits an even .500 in Southeastern Conference play at 1-1 through the opening weekend of action. Florida suffers its third loss of the season and is now 10-3. The Gators are now 1-1 in SEC play, as well.
UK will turn around to face Oklahoma on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET inside Historic Memorial Coliseum for the first home match of the 2024 SEC season. The match will be live on SEC Network with Eric Frede and Missy Whittemore on the call from Lexington.
Set One
Florida took a three-point lead at 8-5 in the opening set after a pair of service errors and a pair of blocks helped to put the Gators ahead. Kentucky then went on a run that pushed it to the lead after a stuff block by Jordyn Dailey and Brooklyn DeLeye as UK grabbed the 13-12 advantage. Eleanor Beavin dropped an ace and a hitting error for UF made things 15-12 in Kentucky’s favor heading into the media timeout. UK extended the run out of the timeout and the Wildcats led by a set-high five points after a back-row attack was called on UF and down 18-13, Florida called its first timeout of the set. The UK lead ballooned to as many as six and a kill by Haley Melby brought Kentucky to set point at 24-18 as the Wildcats sided out to claim the set and the 1-0 lead, 25-19.
Set Two
A thunderous solo stuff by Brooklyn DeLeye pushed Kentucky to the lead early in the second set as she stuffed Kennedy Martin on the left side to give UK an 8-3 lead and pushed Florida into an early timeout in the second set proceedings. Florida then responded out of the timeout winning six of the next seven points to push things to a 9-9 tie as Kentucky elected to call its first timeout of the set with honors even in the second. Things in the middle stanza of the set were played within a two-point window back-and-forth until Brooke Bultema pumped a stuff block on Kennedy Martin off an extended rally to give Kentucky a 21-18 lead and with its first three-point deficit since it was 9-6, Florida elected to burn its final timeout of the set down a trio. A kill by Emma Grome on a setter dump at set point, 24-20, ended the second set and Kentucky took a two sets to none lead in Gainesville.
Set Three
Florida had the early lead in the third and never let its foot off the gas pedal. The Wildcats used a timeout at 13-9, down four trying to claw back into the thick of things, but there was nothing stopping the Gators attack in the third as Florida drew a set back to make things 2-1, 25-20. UK never led in the set, and only at two points was the set tied as the Gators got on the scoresheet with the set victory.
Set Four
After a tight opening phrase of the fourth set, it was back-to-back challenge wins by Kentucky that began to give UK some momentum on two-straight points that the Wildcats won to pull even at 16-16, which was the set’s first tie since it was 10-10 earlier in the set. Brooklyn DeLeye had an out-of-system kill to put Kentucky on top for the first time since it was 9-8 UK and the Gators called time for the first chance in the set down a point and needing to win the set to force a fifth. After UK fell behind again, it was Brooke Bultema and Haley Melby who helped the Wildcats climb out of the hole and re-take the lead at 21-20 as Florida called its final timeout down a point. Two successive kills out of the 22-20 lead for UF found the floor and with the fourth set square at 22 all, UK called its first timeout three points from the finish line. Kentucky closed out the match on its second match point, 30-28, after Brooklyn DeLeye aced the Gators for the second time in the match to close out the 3-1 win.
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