Edmond's Excels in Final Memorial Appearance
Leah Edmond knew that Saturday’s match against Michigan would be her last match ever in Memorial Coliseum. Kentucky’s all-time kills leader wanted to make it a night she would never forget.
Edmond did just that in Saturday’s match, leading the Cats to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-20) sweep of the Wolverines. The senior from Lexington had 15 kills and three errors on 32 swings (.375), while adding seven digs and one solo block and two block assists in the match.
From the beginning, Edmond knew that this match was going to be an emotional one.
“Definitely going into the game, a couple of people in the locker room said it to me, which, I got emotional already which I didn’t need before the game,” Edmond said. “But I think it just made me want to play a little harder because I know it’s my last time ever doing anything like that on that court again.”
Edmond, who now has a school record 1,959 kills, sixth in the history of the SEC, simply was not going to see her career come to an end in the building where she has played and practiced for the last four seasons.
“I was just really excited. It was a bittersweet moment,” Edmond said. “It was sweet because we won, but it hit me when Kylie (Schmaltz) was like ‘Leah, that was our last game’ and I was like, it was our last game. And, of course, I started crying again. It was a cool moment. To go back out there and wave and see all my family was really cool.”
In the process, Kentucky won its 10th straight match, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. The Cats will likely travel to Waco, Texas for the regional next week where they will face eighth-seeded Washington.
Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner was pleased with how his team handled its business on Saturday.
“I’m pleased with the way that our team came out ready,” Skinner said. “I think our team sent a message early on in the match that we are here to play and compete and play aggressive, and the first ten points obviously set the tone for how we wanted to compete and how we wanted to play.”
Edmond was, as she has been for the last four years, at the center of the Kentucky attack. And while Saturday was her final match in Memorial Coliseum, her impact, and the memories of her athletic feats, will live on in the historic building for years to come.
