Four Named All-America, Edmond First Team and Lilley Second Team
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky volleyball’s Kaz Brown, Ashley Dusek, Leah Edmond and Madison Lilley earned All-America distinction, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday. Edmond was named to the first team, Lilley to the second team and Brown and Dusek were honorable mention selections.
“Having four All-Americans is a great honor and shows great respect for each of their playing abilities,” head coach Craig Skinner said. “All of these players had phenomenal years physically and statistically. With Leah (Edmond) and Madison (Lilley) being underclassmen, it shows not only their talent, but the bright future for the program.”
Kentucky has garnered four All-America honors just one other time in program history (2015). Edmond’s first team appearance is the program’s third overall and the first under Skinner. All four players were also named to the AVCA All-Region team and the All-SEC teams. Edmond was the Southeast Region Player of the Year, while Lilley garnered SEC and the region’s Freshman of the Year award.
Edmond averaged 4.53 kills per set this season, which is No. 14 in the nation. Edmond’s 539 kills was the highest kill mark for a single season in the 25-point rally scoring era. Edmond totaled 10 or more kills in 28 matches this season, including four in the NCAA Tournament. She also hit the 20-kill plateau 11 times this season, and holds the 25-point rally scoring era record for most kills in a three-set match with 21 at Arkansas. Her 22 terminations against WKU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament are the most in the Skinner era for an NCAA Tournament match, and she had 20 or more three times in the tournament.
The Lexington, Kentucky, native averaged 2.01 digs per set, and produced nine double-doubles this season, including one each in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. She led the team in service aces with 40 and posted 65 blocks.
Lilley averaged 12.14 assists per set this season, the third-best average in the nation and the highest for a freshman. Lilley is the only Wildcat in the 25-point rally scoring era with 65 or more assists in a match, and had 20 matches with 40 or more. Lilley was impressive in the NCAA Tournament, posting 63 helpers in the five-set win over BYU in the Sweet 16.
The Overland Park, Kansas, native was the catalyst for a team that was fourth in the nation in hitting percentage at .318 and fourth in the nation in kills per set at 15.01. She averaged 1.99 digs per set this season and recorded 11 double-doubles, including two in the NCAA Tournament.
Brown had a historic season where she broke the 25-point rally scoring era career records in total blocks (576), blocks assists (512) and solo blocks (64), and averaged 1.24 blocks per set. Against WKU in the tournament, she was one block shy of a double-double with nine blocks, including one solo stuff.
The Waterloo, Iowa, native was quite efficient this season, hitting a career-best .408, good for No. 13 in the nation and third best in the SEC. She averaged 2.43 kills per set, and put up her 1,000th career kill in the NCAA Tournament win over BYU. She ranks third in the 25-point rally scoring era in kills, and is the fifth player under Skinner to reach that milestone.
Dusek, who was named the SEC’s Libero of the Year for the third-consecutive season, averaged 4.35 digs per set, which was seventh in the conference, but coaches game planned around her. At the end of the regular season, she led the league in multiple categories, including a passing average of 2.45 (three-point scale) and good-pass percentage at 65.2 percent.
The East Bernard, Texas, native had double-digit digs in every match she started this season after returning from injury, and recorded five matches with 20 or more. Dusek has 80 matches with 10 or more digs in her career and won two weekly SEC honors this season. She’s the fifth player under Skinner to log more than 1,000 career digs and finished her career second in the 25-point rally scoring era for total digs with 1,574.
Follow along with the Cats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
