Kentucky Volleyball Visits Louisville on Thursday
When Kentucky and Louisville meet on the volleyball court Thursday night (6 p.m., ESPNU) inside the KFC Yum! Center, it will not only be the renewal of the intrastate rivalry. It will also be a matchup between two of the best teams in the country.
Kentucky is off to a 5-2 start and is ranked sixth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. The Cats have lost to top-ranked Nebraska and No. 7 Pittsburgh, but have beaten then-No. 5 Penn State and then-No. 10 SMU.
The Kentucky attack is led by junior All-America candidate Brooklyn DeLeye, who is third in the Southeastern Conference and ninth in the country in kills per set (4.88). Senior Eva Hudson gives the Cats another offensive weapon, averaging 3.67 kills per set.
Louisville is 7-1, including a nationally-ranked win over Creighton. The Cardinals’ only loss came to second-ranked Texas.
UK head coach Craig Skinner spoke to the media on Wednesday and he’s looking forward to Thursday’s match.
“Looking forward to the opportunity to play this week,” Skinner said. “Thursday night in the Yum Center will be a great match for our crowd and fans and Louisville’s fans and what’s better than a rivalry match mid-week.”
Skinner knows that the Cats have played a very difficult schedule, but he believes that will pay off for UK in the long run.
“Any time you can play top 10 teams, it gives you a level of understanding of what it takes to play and compete because you know sets are going to go past 20 (points),” Skinner said. “There’s going to be some pressure. So, the more you play, the more comfortable you get in those situations.”
Skinner likes how his team has made strides as the season has progressed.
“We’ve gotten better each week and improved,” Skinner said. “Just seeing little incremental improvements each and every week. The more we’re able to capitalize on our strengths and make our weaknesses good, it gives us a better chance against great teams.”
Kentucky leads the all-time series 31-28, although Louisville has won the last four in a row. Prior to that, UK ran off seven consecutive victories in the series. Skinner thinks it’s special to have two of the country’s best in the Bluegrass state.
“I think it’s special for the state, special for younger volleyball players aspiring to be our players,” Skinner said. “What a cool deal that two of the best programs in the country are within an hour drive of each other.”
As for the UK players, they also understand what it means when Kentucky and Louisville square off in any sport.
“We understand the history behind it. Every single sport has that Louisville rivalry,” said UK sophomore Asia Thigpen. “We’re putting a lot of emphasis on playing for the university, playing for the fans that support us.”
Junior Lizzie Carr, who will be playing in the rivalry for the first time on Thursday, knows how important this match is to the fans.
“It means a lot to a lot of people and we’ve talked about how we’re going to embrace that,” Carr said. “We know it’s rivalry week and we’re ready.”
On Thursday, Kentucky and Louisville, two of the best volleyball programs in the country, will renew their rivalry in what should be another very competitive match for both teams.
