Volleyball Cats Showing Poise, Focus in Season's Final Stretch
The Kentucky volleyball team played in the SEC matchup of the year on Halloween night, beating Florida in three sets at Memorial Coliseum. There was considerable hype before that match, which featured the SEC’s two best teams, and the Wildcats were prepared for the challenge, dispatching the Gators with great efficiency.
It would have been easy for the Cats to suffer a letdown after such an emotional victory. But Kentucky has had no such problems, downing Ole Miss, Mississippi State and, on Sunday, Alabama in the three matches since Florida. In fact, the Wildcats have not dropped a set in any of the three matches, while outscoring the opposition by an average set win of 25-18.
The Cats have continued a streak of winning in dominant fashion. Kentucky has now swept its last six opponents. The Wildcats last dropped a set (two, in fact) in a victory at Texas A&M on October 21.
Head coach Craig Skinner has been impressed with how his team has been dialed in during each match since Florida, especially on Sunday.
“I was really impressed with our focus today,” Skinner said after the match. “I thought we prepared well leading up to the match and then we were focused the whole way through. Very good concentration today.”
Sophomore setter Madison Lilley, who played like the best setter in the country again on Sunday, knows that taking things step-by-step is important for this team.
“We take everything match-by-match and we really take a lot of pride and really focus on that,” Lilley said. “It’s this match. Tomorrow, we’re going to get better tomorrow. Taking things day by day, that’s kind of how we’re functioning and it’s working out really well.”
Outside hitter Caitlyn Cooper who had 11 kills and hit .733 on Sunday, says the team’s focus comes from practice.
“It kind of gets to us sometimes,” Cooper said. “Like, maybe (Skinner) will say something in practice like ‘hey guys, let’s focus in a little bit harder’ and that’s what we do. We just kind of turn it around and make a difference.”
The focus was evident on Sunday, when Kentucky established three-set, rally scoring era school records for team kills (62) and individual kills (Leah Edmond, 21) in the win over Alabama. The Cats hit .350 as a team and moved to 20-4 on the season, including a current 17-match winning streak.
Skinner thought the offense was outstanding, and he knew it had to be in Sunday’s match.
“Our offense was humming today,” Skinner said. “We had to be really good offensively. Alabama played really well.”
Lilley, who had 45 assists, 11 digs, five kills on six swings (.833 hitting percentage), along with a service ace and a block assist on Sunday, knows there are bigger goals out there for this team. She also knows that, if focus is lost, the goals could be as well.
“We all know that (the SEC Championship) is down the road,” Lilley said. “We also know that if we were to lose focus what could happen. We’re not willing to sacrifice that, so we’re staying disciplined. It’s definitely tough, but we’re holding each other accountable.”
Sunday’s match was yet another example of how this team’s focus can produce very impressive results.
