Volleyball Cats Get First Five-Set Win of Season at Perfect Time
Through its first 14 matches of the season, the Kentucky volleyball team had gone to five sets just twice. On both occasions, which game within four days of each other, the Cats came out on the losing end, falling to Big Ten foes Indiana and Purdue.
Kentucky finally got over the five-set hump on Sunday, and it came at a very nice time. The Cats came from behind to top No. 12 Florida in five sets at Memorial Coliseum. The win was Kentucky’s 29th straight in SEC play and UK’s first five-set win since October 21 of last season when the Cats won at Texas A&M.
Kentucky was prepared for such a scenario, according to libero Gabby Curry.
“We emphasized a lot this past week fifth-set mentality and how we need to go about those sets,” Curry said. “I think going into the fifth set, with preparing for it all week, there was no doubt in our minds.”
Senior Leah Edmond and her teammates knew that the Cats were 0-2 in five-set matches this season. And they aimed to correct that once Sunday’s match went the distance. Before the final stanza, Edmond knew she didn’t want the past to repeat itself.
“We were focusing on having a fire,” Edmond said. “Making it different than the past five-set matches we had been in.”
Things started very well for the Cats on Sunday. Kentucky dominated Florida, winning the set 25-12. It marked the fewest points that Florida has scored in any set this season.
Kentucky went to Edmond early and often in the first set. The senior All-American had Kentucky’s first five kills and ended the set with six kills and two block assists. Kentucky hit .333 in the set while Florida hit -.138.
The second set was much different, as Florida’s size led to the Gators’ six blocks in the set. Florida would win the frame 25-19 to even the match at a set apiece.
The Gators carried that momentum into the third set, which was tight early before Florida opened a late advantage, 22-17. Kentucky would fight back before eventually losing the set 25-22.
In the fourth set, Kentucky jumped out to a 10-6 advantage and would eventually lead 19-11. However, Florida would not go away, eventually getting within 24-19 before the Cats won the final point of the set.
In the fifth set, Kentucky got a kill from Alli Stumler, an error by Florida, a kill from Kendyl Paris, and another kill from Stumler to grab a quick 4-0 lead, forcing a Gators’ timeout. After a Florida point, Kentucky won the next three points to lead 7-1. The Cats would lead 12-4 on their way to a 15-8 set victory.
UK head coach Craig Skinner was impressed with how his team did not quit when trailing to the Gators.
“Our team really showed some toughness to fight back when Florida was playing well, Skinner said. “We just didn’t feel sorry for ourselves because Florida scored some points. We didn’t panic, we didn’t freak out and that’s the sign of a competitively mature team. I’m proud of them.”
In addition to winning their first five-set match of the year on Sunday, the Cats did something more important – they took the lead in the SEC standings. And while it’s still early in the conference season, winning this five-set match over Florida was important for this Kentucky team to get over that particular hump.
