Curry Leading, Excelling for Volleyball Cats
Kentucky libero Gabby Curry had some big shoes to fill this season, stepping into the role of former Wildcat and three-time SEC Libero of the Year Ashley Dusek. Curry has been solid all season for the Cats, but maybe never as good as she was on Sunday.
The sophomore from Buford, Georgia, seemed to be all over the court in Sunday’s match, notching a career-high 23 digs as Kentucky swept Ole Miss 25-21, 25-14, 25-17 on Sunday at Memorial Coliseum.
“She’s been really good lately,” said UK head coach Craig Skinner. “She’s really working hard on her game. She’s very focused. She’s very athletic and can cover a lot of ground. She’s impacting the match as much with her physical play as she is intangibly and in communication. She’s playing at a very high level.”
Curry entered Sunday’s match seventh in the SEC in digs per set, averaging 3.76 on the season. In an evenly-matched first set, Curry nearly tripled that number, scooping up 10 digs, helping the Cats win 25-21, despite hitting only .170 as a team.
In the second set, Curry was at it again, with eight digs in the set. In the third set, Curry had five more digs for 23 total, besting her previous career-high of 22, set earlier this season in a match at Southern California.
Curry was quick to credit her coaches and her teammates for her outstanding performance.
“I think that we had a really, really good scouting report and blocking did really well,” Curry said. “When we have good blocks like we are working on, it’s really easy for someone to play around it and capitalize on what they’re good at. We knew exactly where their hitters were going to hit every time. I credit that to the coaches. It made it really easy for me and the defense to play around it.”
Curry’s teammates also realized the special match she was having on Sunday.
“It was great, I loved watching it,” said junior Leah Edmond. “She played great. It was nice to see her get that many digs.”
Skinner likes the fact that Curry is playing at such a high level, but he also knows she’s becoming a vocal leader on the court.
“She’s very vocal, she’s probably a little more confident and louder in what she’s saying out there,” Skinner said. “She’s giving a lot of people information even though she may not be involved in the play. When you have that type of organization in your libero, it goes a long, long way for the people around her.”
Curry is also becoming more comfortable in the leadership role.
“I think getting used to being in the spot I am and leading in the way that the team needs is what I’m trying to gain on each point,” she said.
Curry was also involved in Kentucky’s outstanding service game on Sunday. The Wildcats had nine service aces in the match, with Curry registering three of those.
“That was execution, 100 percent,” Curry said of UK’s serving. “This week in practice, we were working on always hitting a spot. We had these tennis balls we laid on the ground and each day, we go after each of those tennis balls. It’s really hard, but it’s good focusing in on a target and trying to nail a target.”
Curry’s continued improvement and leadership from the back line makes Kentucky even more formidable as the Cats attempt to defend last season’s SEC championship.
