Balanced Attack Leads Cats Past Ball State on Sunday

The Kentucky volleyball team has an obvious standout in sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye. However, if the Cats are to become the team they want to be as the season progresses, they need to be able to spread the offense among multiple hitters.

On Sunday against Ball State, Kentucky was able to do just that. Four UK players registered at least seven kills as the Cats topped the Cardinals in three sets inside Historic Memorial Coliseum.

DeLeye led the way, as usual, with 12 kills on 23 swings, hitting .435 for the match. However, she had plenty of support from her teammates.

Redshirt freshman Brooke Bultema had eight kills, while true freshman Kennedy Washington had a career-high eight kills. Senior Megan Wilson had seven kills for the Cats. All four of those players hit at least .375 and the team hit a scorching .412 for the match.

UK head coach Craig Skinner knows that his team needs to develop that balance because it can be the difference in close matches against the nation’s best teams.

“It’s critical,” Skinner said. “Against good teams, if everyone knows where the ball is going, it’s very difficult to score. If they don’t know where the ball is going, then you’ve got a lot better chance to win close sets. Getting kills from behind the setter from Megan, Brooke and Kennedy today is significant for the balance of our offense and we’ve got to keep building on it.”

With balance being such a point of emphasis, Skinner was pleased that the Cats and setter Emma Grome were able to achieve it.

“Pleased overall today,” Skinner said. “Offensively, we had much better balance today, which we’ve been searching for so it’s nice to see it develop.”

Washington had the best match of her young career on Sunday. Prior to the match against Ball State, she had 11 kills in five matches and had not hit better than .333. In Sunday’s match, her eight kills were her best so far, and she also hit a season-high .462. Washington says that having good chemistry with Grome has been very helpful as she continues to grow her game.

“After every ball in practice or in a game, we communicate about whether it was good or bad,” Washington said. “Even if it was good, I tell her how I like it and it really shows on the court.”

Bringing Bultema and Washington along will be helpful as the Cats develop more offensive balance. Sunday’s match was a step in the right direction toward making that happen.