Cats Get Momentum Back Ahead of Four-Match Road Trip

Coming off a tough loss to Texas A&M on Friday, and facing a monster four-game road stretch over the next two weeks, the Kentucky volleyball team needed some good things to happen on Sunday.

And that’s just what happened inside Memorial Coliseum as the Cats pounded Arkansas 25-14, 25-12, 25-19 to move to 16-6 overall and 9-2 in the SEC.

Sophomore Alli Stumler had her fifth double-double of the season, and the ninth of her career, posting 15 kills and a career-high 20 digs to lead the UK effort.

After falling to the Aggies on Friday, Stumler and the Cats knew how important Sunday’s match was.

“I think overall (Sunday) was a great match for us, obviously coming off a loss, that really hurt,” said Stumler, who had eight kills and eight digs in the third set. “You just have to take the loss and grow from it, and I think that’s what we did tonight.”

Junior Kendyl Paris also had a big match on Sunday. The Hilliard, Ohio, native had nine kills, the most she’s ever had in and SEC match, while hitting .692 for the match. Paris knew it was important for the Cats to gain some momentum before a tough road trip.

“We definitely have a lot of games coming up where we won’t be at home, we don’t get the crowd, we don’t get the home floor,” Paris said. “So we really had to figure out today how to make our own energy.”

As for Sunday, Paris felt that she and setter Madison Lilley were working well together.

“We’ve been in a pretty good rhythm the past couple of games,” Paris said. “I think we’ve connected very well. We’ve just been getting better and better in practice.”

Kentucky starts its tough, four-game road swing on Friday at Georgia, a team that beat the Cats at Memorial Coliseum in October. The Cats then visit Auburn and South Carolina before a crucial trip to Gainesville to face SEC leader Florida.

Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner knows how tough the four-game road swing will be.

“We do have a tough road stretch,” Skinner said. “We’ve got four in a row away from home against some really good teams. I thought some of the things we did on the floor (Sunday) helped add layers of confidence.”

Stumler hopes the team can carry momentum from Sunday into next weekend’s match.

“Big efforts from the whole team tonight, so that really helps with confidence,” Stumler said. “And with these road trips coming up, it helps a ton.”

The Cats got that positive vibe back in Sunday’s match, just in time to take it on the road for a crucial four-match road swing.