Kentucky Picked by Coaches to Win SEC, Five on All-SEC Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Volleyball team has been picked by the Southeastern Conference head coaches to win the league for a 10th season in a row and five UK players were named to the All-SEC preseason team, the SEC announced Wednesday.

Kentucky received nine first-place votes, three more than Texas’ six and Texas A&M garnered one. The Wildcats won the tight vote by two points with Kentucky earning 218 points and Texas getting 216. All 16 SEC head coaches voted in the poll and were unable to vote for their own team in the preseason standings.

On the 15-person Preseason All-SEC Team, Kentucky had five players selected, the most of any team in the SEC as Texas and Florida both had two. Lizzie Carr, Brooklyn DeLeye, Morgan Gaerte, Kassie O’Brien and Molly Tuozzo all got voted to the team.

As was the case in 2025, the 2026 SEC schedule will be a single round robin with a tournament championship in Savannah, Georgia after the regular season has concluded. The winner of the 2026 SEC Volleyball Tournament Presented by Allstate will receive the SEC’s automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Volleyball Championship.

Kentucky Players on Preseason All-SEC Team

#15, Lizzie Carr, 5Y, MB

• 2025 All-Lexington Regional Team
• Eight 10+ kill matches
• 2025 Second Team All-SEC

#17, Brooklyn DeLeye, 4Y, OH

• 2024 SEC Player of the Year
• 2025 AVCA First Team All-America
• Three-time All-SEC

#15 Morgan Gaerte, 3Y, OPP

• Transferred to Kentucky from Notre Dame this offseason
• First Team All-ACC in 2025
• 64 kills per set last season for the Fighting Irish

#6 Kassie O’Brien, 2Y, S

• 2025 AVCA National Freshman of the Year
• 2025 AVCA Second Team All-America
• 2025 First Team All-SEC

#12 Molly Tuozzo, 4Y, L

• 2025 AVCA Third Team All-America
• Two-time All-SEC
• 2025 SEC Tournament MVP

2026 Preseason All-SEC Team

Lauren Dreves, Auburn

Jordyn Byrd, Florida

Alec Roth, Florida

Bianna Muoneke, Georgia

Lizzie Carr, Kentucky

Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky

Morgan Gaerte, Kentucky

Kassie O’Brien, Kentucky

Molly Tuozzo, Kentucky

Jurnee Robinson, LSU

Lindsey Mangelson, Mississippi State

Caroline Kerr, Tennessee

Cari Spears, Texas

Torrey Stafford, Texas

Kyndal Stowers, Texas A&M

For the latest on UK Volleyball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @KentuckyVB.