Confident DeLeye Ready for Junior Season
Kentucky volleyball junior Brooklyn DeLeye has put together two incredible seasons in Lexington. Last year, the Topeka, Kansas, native had one of the best years in program history.
DeLeye led the Cats, and was ninth in the country, in kills per set last season (4.87), when she earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and AVCA All-American honors. Her best match came in a win over Georgia, when she tied the UK record for kills in a four-set match with 30.
Now, DeLeye returns for her junior season and she continues to work on improving her game.
“The game keeps evolving every year, so you’ve got to keep adjusting,” she said. “There’s always something to work on. The coaches have been working with me a lot on certain skills and I’ve just really been trying to do my best to get those.”
DeLeye finds ways to keep herself motivated, but she also plays for those around her.
“Just this program and my teammates, and obviously my family and support system. This program has been so successful even before I got here. So just upholding the standard of Kentucky volleyball.”
DeLeye spent the summer playing for the USA Volleyball U21 women’s national team. That group went 5-0 and won the gold medal at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s U21 Pan American Cup. DeLeye was named MVP of the event.
“It was an honor to rep the USA jersey,” DeLeye said. “Just representing your country, doing something that’s bigger than yourself and playing with some girls you see across the net a lot, but who are normally not on your team. It was super cool to play with some of those girls and just have an amazing staff to learn from. It was just an amazing experience.”
After playing against some of the world’s top players under 21, what will DeLeye bring back to Lexington?
“Honestly, just some confidence,” she said. “I’ve been working on some skills and those came to light a little bit over the summer. That and bringing overall volleyball skill level into the season.”
DeLeye will team with All-American Eva Hudson, a transfer from Purdue, in what should be a formidable offensive attack.
“I think anyone we set this year is going to be lethal from an offensive standpoint,” DeLeye said. “I think defenses are just going to have to prepare for everything because you can’t really just key in on one person. Eva is an amazing teammate and cool to learn from.”
DeLeye hopes that the Cats can make a run to the Final Four, which will be in a special location for her this season.
“Just getting (the team) to the national championship,” DeLeye said. “Especially (with it being in) Kansas City, it kind of comes a little close to the heart for me.”
With DeLeye continuing to improve, and the addition of Hudson and some other key newcomers, Kentucky looks to be in position to make such a run this season.
