Strong Passing Game Boosts UK Volleyball Attack
The Kentucky volleyball team has displayed great balance and hitting efficiency on offense through 15 matches this season. The Wildcats were fourth in the nation in hitting percentage, with a .327 clip, entering Sunday’s SEC contest against Auburn.
And while the hitting parade continued for 10th-ranked Kentucky in Sunday’s 25-19, 25-14, 30-32, 25-21 win at Memorial Coliseum (a .361 hitting percentage), it was a balanced effort on the defensive end the propelled the Wildcats to their ninth straight win.
Specifically on Sunday, the Wildcats passing was outstanding. Kentucky registered 69 digs in the four-set victory, and the Wildcats had five players with at least eight digs in the match. Kentucky was led by 17 digs from senior Ashley Dusek, who knows that the team’s success starts with its passing.
“It’s been great, we come in early for practice,” said Dusek, the two-time defending SEC Libero of the Year. “Everyone really concentrates and we give each other good information. I’m just so proud of our defense. We had a great game.”
Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner was pleased with his team’s passing effort.
“I thought both teams passed well,” Skinner said. “I was pleased with the back row play and of course, there are always things I wish we would do a little bit better.”
In addition to Dusek, freshmen Gabby Curry and Madison Lilley had double-digit digs. Curry had 15 digs, her highest total in an SEC match this season, while Lilley notched her sixth double-double of the season with 50 assists and 12 digs.
Senior middle blocker Kaz Brown knows that the passers can create opportunities for the players in the front row.
“When the passing is there, we have every option,” Brown said. “So it’s really useful for us and then it’s really dangerous for the other team because they have to pick where you’re going to go or what ball you’re going to defend. It’s really nice for us to have all of those options. We have to give the passers a lot of credit because they do a really hard job and, more often than not, they don’t get the credit they deserve.”
After notching 14 digs in each of the first two sets, Kentucky came up with twice that many, 28, in the lengthy third set. However, it wasn’t enough as Auburn won its lone set of the match, 32-30.
Kentucky also got nine digs from junior McKenzie Watson and eight from Leah Edmond, who led the team with 25 kills. The Wildcats have won nine consecutive matches and are now 14-2 overall and 5-0 in SEC play.
The Kentucky offense has proven to be extremely potent during the first half of the regular season schedule. And that offense starts with strong passing, which the Wildcats showed again on Sunday.
