Edmond Leaving Lasting Impact on UK, SEC Volleyball
A change in scenery for a football strength coach in 2014 played a huge role in perhaps the greatest player in Kentucky volleyball history becoming a Wildcat in the first place.
When Kentucky hired Mark Stoops as its new football coach, Corey Edmond was hired to be one of the strength coaches on Stoops’ new UK staff. Edmond moved his family from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Lexington. That family included Edmond’s daughter Leah, who was a high school freshman volleyball player with a bright future.
Leah did not know much, if anything, about Kentucky volleyball when she moved to Lexington.
“Honestly, I didn’t know where Kentucky was. I had never heard of them, volleyball-wise,” she said. “Clearly, they were good. I just never knew about them.”
The Recruitment
Leah had spent a large portion of her childhood in Tucson, Arizona, where her father was the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Arizona for eight years. And the younger Edmond really liked Tucson and the Arizona program.
“I was one-minded. I had been at Arizona, that was the only volleyball I knew,” Edmond said. “That’s everything I was stuck on.”
Leah enrolled at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School at age 15, and she made an immediate impact, leading the Bulldogs to the KHSAA state semifinals during her junior season. That was quite an accomplishment because Lexington schools generally didn’t compete at that high of a level statewide.
Despite her success, the UK volleyball program showed very little interest in Edmond initially.
“I remember my dad came and talked to Craig (Skinner),” Edmond said. “When I first moved here, everybody knew I was here, but Craig didn’t take me seriously at first. It took Megan (Skinner, Craig’s wife) for him to realize that maybe they should send someone out to watch me. They sent (Anders Nelson) and that’s when I first started having contact with them.”
Skinner remembers the first time he saw Edmond.
“You saw this 6-2, huge jumping, gangly athlete that had no fear,” Skinner said. “Had no fear of making an error, of getting a kill. Whatever she was doing, she was going 100 miles an hour and wanting to win.”
Kentucky’s staff wanted to set up a visit so they could get Edmond on campus. Once they did, Edmond loved what she saw.
“Kentucky was the first place I visited. I came in February and I liked this place a lot,” she said. “I loved Craig, ‘Ders (Nelson) and (former assistant coach) Lindsay (Gray-Walton). My parents wanted me to go on other visits to make sure I had something to compare to. I went on one other visit, didn’t like it and said I was not going on any other visits.”
Skinner remembers Edmond’s recruitment well.
“We felt good from the beginning,” Skinner said. “From the first time she came on campus, we could tell that she enjoyed herself. She didn’t commit right away, but we always felt like it was going to be a good match.”
While on her official visit, Edmond connected with Kaz Brown, who was a middle blocker for the Cats from 2014-17. Brown served as Edmond’s host during her visit and remembers what she first thought of Edmond.
“When I hosted Leah on her official visit, my initial impression was that she was soft spoken and quiet,” Brown said. “Anyone who knows Leah now will tell you that is actually not the case.”
Edmond and Brown bonded right away.
“That was the first person I really connected with,” Edmond said. “I knew I was going to be close to Kaz after my official visit. “We had a ball. I had so much fun.”
The Beginning
Ultimately, Edmond signed with UK, becoming the first-ever Lexington native to play for the Cats. While that seemed to be a positive, there was definitely a period of transition when Edmond first started working out with the team.
“When I first got here, the first month of summer workouts, I would bike while they were running,” Edmond said. “I really didn’t feel any connection toward the team, because I also stayed at home. They tried to incorporate me, but it was hard.”
Edmond had a tough start once she began working out with the team, but that may have been the moment in which the team accepted her as one of their own.
“When I finally started working out, my first workout, I passed out and I threw up all over myself and Emily (Franklin) and Sharay (Barnes) were trying to hold me up and I couldn’t,” Edmond said. “It was a mess. After that, they were really helping me out. So, once I started being here with them, (the dynamic) changed. They really included me.”
Edmond had no idea where she stood when practice started. She had a simple goal, and was hoping for little more than that.
“My goal, when I went in, was to start,” Edmond said. “That was my first goal. Then, maybe, play six rotations. It’s a new game, new speed.”
Not only did she start, but Edmond led Kentucky in kills in her first career match, a loss to Washington State at Purdue’s tournament in West Lafayette, Indiana. Edmond’s 12 kills paced the Cats in that match, as did her 11 kills in a three-set win over Wyoming later that same day. The next day, Edmond had 20 kills as the Cats rallied to beat the host Boilermakers in five sets.
Edmond was initially surprised by her success.
“When things started happening, I was like ‘OK, that’s cool. Freshman of the week, that’s cool’ but I never really thought anything of it,” Edmond said. “I didn’t think my freshman year was going to go that well.”
Skinner knew that Edmond had the skills, but he was still surprised by the impact she was able to make so early in her career.
“I don’t think you ever can (predict success),” Skinner said. “She was going to be as ready as anybody and more so because of her fearlessness. A lot of times, freshmen are nervous to get going, don’t want to make a mistake or let people down. She had none of that. She was ready to compete and no moment was too big.”
As Edmond’s success continued, she adjusted her goals accordingly.
“Once I was starting, then I could move on to playing six rotations,” Edmond said. “Then, let’s try to be All-SEC, All-Freshman team. I have high expectations for myself so I want to play well enough where I could be considered for All-American, but my freshman year, I kind of didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Edmond played in all 31 matches as a freshman, racking up an astounding 450 kills. During the 25-point rally scoring era at UK, only one player had registered more kills in one season than Edmond did as a freshman (Sarah Mendoza had 519 in 2009).
For her solid play, Edmond was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, was named to the All-SEC team, was the AVCA Regional Freshman of the Year and she was named AVCA Third-Team All-American, just the 11th player in UK history to earn first, second or third team honors.
Continued Success
Heading into her sophomore season, Edmond and her teammates expected bigger and better things from themselves.
“I think it started with the spring and summer going into that season,” Edmond said. “Everyone was angry with how the previous season had ended. We should have won an SEC championship my freshman year. We were close, but we were all tired of being really close. So, we kept saying that in summer workouts. I think going from all of that hard work, along with all of the people we had returning, we were not going to let that happen to us again.”
What happened was one of the most magical seasons in Kentucky volleyball history. The Cats went 29-4, setting numerous “firsts” for the program along the way.
“How that whole season played out was unbelievable,” Edmond said. “Every moment was something new. Being ranked in the top 10, then in the top five, being ranked number one in the RPI. Everything was new, so it was just fun. I didn’t even think about how I was playing because, at that moment, it was just the team.”
The Cats were selected to host a regional, something only awarded to the top four teams in the country. And while UK came up short of making the school’s first Final Four appearance, Edmond knows the season was still a huge success.
“We finally got over the hump of winning an SEC Championship, on top of that, we got to be a top four seed, which had never happened and we went to the Elite Eight,” Edmond said. “Everything we did that season was history-making, so even if we didn’t make it to the Final Four, we were in the record books for something.”
Edmond had a monster season in 2017. She set a UK record for kills in a rally-scoring era season with 539. She was named First-Team All-American, becoming the first Kentucky player to earn that honor since Marsha Bond and Karolyn Kirby in 1983.
In her junior year in 2018, despite being the focus of opponents’ defenses all year long, Edmond continued to put up huge numbers. She again played in 31 matches, recording 498 kills and passing 1,000 career kills early in the season. Edmond would lead the Cats to the Sweet 16, a 26-5 record and another SEC Championship. But this time, the Cats did it while going undefeated in league play, something that brought a great deal of pride to Edmond.
“That was cool. It was a cool feeling,” Edmond said. “Knowing we had three games left and we had already won the SEC. I think that was a cool moment for us, going undefeated.”
As a senior this season, Edmond led the Cats to a third SEC title, was once again named SEC Player of the Year and has helped UK earn the right to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. She has 441 kills this year and is making a serious run at 2,000 career kills, something that has only been done by five other players in SEC history. Edmond currently has 1,928 kills and has become one of the greatest players in program history. As a senior, she has set the UK record for kills in a career, passing Molly Dreisbach, who amassed 1,737 kills for UK from 1992-95.
Skinner has been impressed with Edmond’s continued improvement.
“She has gotten better at some part of her game every year,” Skinner said. “There hasn’t been a year go by where there hasn’t been an aspect of her game that hasn’t improved. Just her willingness to put in the time to improve.”
As for her remaining goals for this season, Edmond remains all about the team.
“Making it farther in the tournament,” she said immediately. “We’re always so close. Most of us have been there for the so-close moments and we’re tired of being one game away, one point away, one set away from being in the Final Four.”
Edmond’s Impact
With her imposing numbers, as well as her huge impact on the UK program, Edmond places herself into consideration among the best players to ever play in the SEC. Her head coach, who is admittedly biased, thinks that Edmond is deserving.
“It’s hard to say that she’s not one of the best players, or at least in the conversation, of the best players of all time in the league,” Skinner said. “And part of that is that Kentucky had not won an SEC championship since 1988. So, for her to be part of three straight, and it could have been four, very few players, if any, have made such an immediate impact that it gave us a chance to win those championships.”
Opposing coaches would agree. Mary Wise, Florida’s legendary coach, has been in the SEC for 29 years. Wise knows how special Edmond is.
“Few players have come into our league and dominated for four years the way Leah has done,” Wise said. “She is a special player with special skills who has never been afraid to take the big swing.”
Fran Flory, currently the head coach at LSU, has spent the last 27 seasons in the SEC, five at Kentucky and 22 in Baton Rouge. She also thinks Edmond ranks highly in the history of the league.
“Leah would certainly rank as one of the most elite athletes to ever play in the SEC,” Flory said. “She has impacted our league and elevated the Kentucky program to the top of the SEC.”
Jenny Hazelwood, a former player and head coach at Mississippi State and now an analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network, also thinks Edmond is among the elite.
“I think she’s easily one of the top 10 outside hitters to come through the SEC, if not a top five,” Hazelwood said. “When you start thinking about the ones who have done it in the SEC and have done it for four years, you have to put her up there. She’s always made a big impact. Even her freshman year, teams were having to try to find ways to stop her.”
“Another thing, and this is on a personal side, I love that she’s very down to Earth,” Hazelwood said. “She’s humble and easy to talk to. Being a good person, on top of that, for me, it’s always made me pull for her even more.”
Kathy DeBoer, the former head coach at Kentucky and currently the Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, offers even more insight on Edmond’s accomplishments.
“Leah Edmond is one of the best players to wear a Kentucky uniform, and given UK’s success in the SEC, that makes her one of the best in the conference,” DeBoer said. “She has systematically rewritten the record books of Kentucky volleyball, rising to the top in every outside hitter category, passing benchmarks that have stood for 30 years and will likely not be surpassed for another 30.”
Ashley Dusek, the three-time SEC Libero of the Year and Edmond’s teammate at UK for two seasons, knew Edmond was special from the beginning.
“When I first met Leah, I could sense her dedication and how much she truly loves the sport,” Dusek said. “I remember her saying she wanted to play at the highest level possible and when she’s on the court, she showed that. She always came in with fire to work hard and, of course, she had a certain swag to her.
“That’s what made her special. She’s not like everyone else,” Dusek said. “She’s unique. From her first day in the gym to seeing her now, she has most certainly grown, not only with her skill, but as a leader as well. She and I had a special bond on the court where we could just look at each other and know what the other was thinking. I am so glad I was able to play alongside her and see her become who she is today, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for her.”
Brown, who also played two years with Edmond at Kentucky, agrees with Dusek.
“As far as how good she is, I think the numbers and accolades kind of speak for themselves,” Brown said. “I had a chance to play with and against some of the best college volleyball players in the country during my time at UK and through Team USA. Leah is certainly right up there with them. Her ability to make plays and score points gets better and better every time she plays. Because of what she’s been able to accomplish, there are kids all over the state that want to play volleyball and wear number 13. I think that speaks volumes to what she means to the program.”
Edmond’s current teammate, Gabby Curry, has played with and against some of the best players in the world during her time with USA Volleyball. The back-to-back SEC Libero of the Year has the highest regard for Edmond.
“Best athlete I’ve ever played with,” Curry said. “And she’s the hardest worker.”
As for Edmond, she hopes that her time in Lexington has left a lasting impact on the program.
“From a team standpoint, I was a part of some history-making teams that changed the face of Kentucky volleyball,” Edmond said. “In 10 years, I hope we can look back and say that these years changed Kentucky volleyball forever. I hope in 10 years, they have accomplished more than we were ever able to, which is a good thing because that’s what we’re here for: to lay the foundation for the next players.
“As an individual, I hope to be remembered as someone who changed the game. Sometimes, in my head, I get caught up on people saying I’m just an athlete. That’s not what I wanted to be. I want people to look back and think that I was more than just an athlete. That I was a good person, on and off the court, and someone who fought to win.”
The Future
Once Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament run comes to an end, Edmond will turn to her future. Immediately, that means student teaching in the spring, followed by a continuation of her volleyball career.
“I want to go (play volleyball) overseas for a little bit,” Edmond said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be over there or how long I want to do it, but I definitely want to try it out. I would really like to go to Europe. I really want to go to Italy, but I’m open to everything. Right now, I’m still researching and trying to figure out what the best place is. I’m open to going to Asia too, I think that would be really different. So I’m really open to anything.”
But Edmond realizes that her volleyball career will come to an end one day, and she has a plan for when that happens.
“That’s something I’ve been really good at is balancing volleyball with the rest of my life,” Edmond said. “I do want to play volleyball, but I have dreams of educating children and being around children. That’s something I have been passionate about outside of sports is helping children. Being around my mom, who is a teacher, and being around those kids, I want to do that. I want to help the minds.”
Specifically, Edmond, who is majoring in elementary education, hopes to be something she didn’t have when she was growing up.
“I want to be the teacher I didn’t have as a child,” Edmond said. “As a child, I was the only person that looked like me in my whole schooling. I don’t think I had a teacher who looked like me until high school. I feel like, at that moment, it’s too late.
“I think that’s been motivating for me through college,” Edmond said. “I never had a black teacher and I want that to be different for little girls, little boys and I want them to be able to see that their teacher looks like them and understands them and not that there is a boundary or a dissonance between the two.”
Edmond’s impact on Kentucky volleyball will forever be a part of the program. She hopes that her post-volleyball career will also be impactful on many young lives for many years to come.
