Emma Grome Named SEC Player of the Year; UK Puts Four on All-SEC
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky Volleyball player Emma Grome was named the Southeastern Conference’s Player of the Year as UK won the award for the fifth-straight season as Grome joins Leah Edmond (2018, 2019), Madison Lilley (2020) and Alli Stumler (2021) in the past half decade to win the award for the Wildcats.
Grome was also joined by outside hitter Adanna Rollins, opposite Reagan Rutherford and middle blocker Azhani Tealer as the four members representing Kentucky on the All-Southeastern Conference Team. With four players, Kentucky comprised the most players of any institution in the league.
Saturday afternoon, No. 16 Kentucky put the finishing touches on a sixth-straight SEC championship with a three-set sweep of South Carolina to complete the season 20-7 overall and 15-3 in league play, splitting the top spot with Florida for the trophy.
Emma Grome, SEC Player of the Year, All-SEC
- 45 assists per set
- 17 digs per set
- Five-time SEC Setter of the Week
- Two-time SEC Player of the Week
Adanna Rollins, All-SEC
- 80 kills per set
- 07 digs per set
- 14 matches with 10+ kills
- 3 double-doubles
Reagan Rutherford, All-SEC
- 00 kills per set
- 00 blocks per set
- SEC Overall Player of the Week and Offensive Player of the Week
- Six double-doubles
Azhani Tealer, All-SEC
- 18 kills per set
- 59 blocks per set
- Set a new Kentucky record with 13 block assists in win Friday over South Carolina
- Career-high tying 18 kills in win at Arkansas in return from injury
The 2022 NCAA Volleyball Selection Show is Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. ET live on ESPNU with Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak and Katie George hosting the show as UK is expected to receive an at-large bid to compete for the NCAA Championship. The top 16 teams will receive a hosting opportunity for the first and second rounds of the tournament.
All-SEC Team
Jillian Gillen | Arkansas |
Taylor Head | Arkansas |
Akasha Anderson | Auburn |
Merritt Beason | Florida |
Marina Markova | Florida |
Alexis Stucky | Florida |
Kacie Evans | Georgia |
Sophie Fischer | Georgia |
Emma Grome | Kentucky |
Adanna Rollins | Kentucky |
Reagan Rutherford | Kentucky |
Azhani Tealer | Kentucky |
Sasha Ratliff | Ole Miss |
Gabby Waden | Mississippi State |
Jenna Hampton | South Carolina |
Morgahn Fingall | Tennessee |
Logan Lednicky | Texas A&M |
Caroline Meuth | Texas A&M |
All-Freshman Team
Akasha Anderson | Auburn |
Kendal Kemp | Auburn |
Madison Scheer | Auburn |
Alexis Stucky | Florida |
Aly Borellis | Ole Miss |
Keondreya Granberry | Tennessee |
Logan Lednicky | Texas A&M |
Player of the Year: Emma Grome, Kentucky
Libero of the Year: Jenna Hampton, South Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Alexis Stucky, Florida
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Morgahn Fingall, Tennessee
Coach of the Year: Tom Black, Georgia
Follow along with the Wildcats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.