Edmond, Lilley Lead Cats in Record-Breaking Performance
On a day when the Kentucky volleyball offense took a while to get going, the Wildcats turned to their two constants, and they both delivered.
Sophomore Leah Edmond had a record-setting day on Sunday, proving why she’s not only one of the best players in the SEC, but one of the best in the country. In Kentucky’s 25-21, 25-18, 30-28 win over Tennessee, Edmond tied her own school record for kills in a three-set match with 19. Her final line included those 19 kills and just three errors on 43 swings (.372) in an impressive offensive showing.
“She was hot, and (we) were riding the hot hand and we gave her some opportunities to kill the ball,” said UK head coach Craig Skinner. “It was a good matchup for her. Leah did a great job of scoring points for us early on.”
But it wasn’t just Edmond’s offense that made a difference on Sunday. The sophomore from Lexington added eight digs, one block, one service ace and an assist in an all-around effort.
Edmond came out of the gate firing, notching nine of Kentucky’s 18 kills in the first set. In the second set, Edmond’s impressive performance continued, as she had seven kills and no errors on 11 swings (.636) as the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead.
“That’s a start I would love to have every game,” Edmond said. “So I was very happy with myself.”
And while Edmond was providing the final hammer, much of the credit for Kentucky’s potent offense goes to freshman setter Madison Lilley, who set a school record of her own on Sunday. Lilley racked up 48 assists, the most ever in a three-set match in UK history.
“Very composed under pressure, (she) made the right choices when we needed to get a kill,” Skinner said. “I don’t know if 55 kills in a three-set match is a record (55 ties the school record), but it’s got to be close. A lot of that goes to ballhandling, but Madison did a good job getting the people involved that we needed to.”
Lilley knew to ride Edmond’s hot streak early in the match while others were making adjustments to get involved.
“Yeah we definitely are going with the philosophy that who has the hot hand gets the ball, so Leah was on fire in the beginning so we just worked on giving her the ball,” Lilley said. “Then soon everybody warmed up and it got really fun.”
Lilley’s composure and consistency have been key to UK’s success this season. She entered Sunday’s match first in the SEC and fifth in the nation in assists per set. Her ability to set the ball in specific spots has been crucial all season for UK.
“She’s incredible, so relaxed,” Edmond said of her setter. “When we need a kick, she’s definitely there to kick us off. So she’s good, she’s really good.”
Skinner was impressed with Lilley’s performance in a pressure-packed third set, something that Lilley works on in practice each day.
“We run a lot of drills like that in practice, where it’s a really high pressure situation, and our backs are against the wall,” Lilley said. “So that’s a good opportunity to kind of get your mind right and then when it comes to game time it’s kind of just natural.”
The consistent performances of Edmond and Lilley continue to lead this UK team to new heights. And there’s little doubt that more record-breaking performances are on the horizon for this talented duo.
