volleyball

Kentucky Volleyball Sweeps Morehead State to Win 2024 Bluegrass Battle

September 1, 2024

Photos from the NCAA season Volleyball opener between Nebraska vs Kentucky at the KFC Yum Center in Louisville Kentucky - Photos taken by the lovely Patrica Joy with Patrica Joy Photography https://www.facebook.com/lovelypatrica - To see more coverage go to https://www.kysports.co

The Kentucky Volleyball team completed a dominant 3-0 weekend on Sunday afternoon with a convincing 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-8) sweep of Morehead State at Historic Memorial Coliseum, closing out the 2024 Bluegrass Battle in Lexington.

Eleven different Wildcats registered kills in the match, with Haley Melby leading the team with six kills and no errors on 17 swings. Kentucky’s offense was sharp, recording seven service aces and only nine attack errors throughout the match, five of which occurred in the first set.

Libero Molly Tuozzo anchored the defense, digging up a team-high 16 balls while also contributing six set assists and an ace. Eleanor Beavin added a kill, two aces, two assists, and a dig to her all-around performance.

Emma Grome, who was named the Bluegrass Battle MVP, and to the All-Tournament Team, orchestrated the offense with 27 assists, nine digs, and two blocks, guiding the Wildcats to a flawless weekend. With the victory, Kentucky improved to 3-1 on the season, securing the 2024 Bluegrass Battle title. Morehead State, now 0-3, finished fourth in the tournament. Western Kentucky took second place with a 2-1 record, while Northern Kentucky finished third with a 1-3 record.

Set One:
The opening set was tightly contested early on, but a 7-0 scoring run led by Brooklyn DeLeye, which included an ace, pushed Kentucky’s lead to 20-13. The Wildcats maintained their momentum with key block assists from Brooke Bultema and Emma Grome. Morehead State struggled offensively, hitting just .063 as Kentucky’s offense operated at a .542 efficiency. A service error by Morehead State ended the set, with Kentucky taking it 25-19. Emma Grome recorded 14 assists in the set.

Set Two:
Morehead State held an early lead in the second set, but another strong service run by Brooklyn DeLeye, including two aces, gave Kentucky a 9-5 advantage. The Wildcats extended their lead to 16-10 with a Megan Wilson block and two consecutive attack errors by the Eagles. Kentucky closed the set on a 6-0 run, winning 25-13.

Set Three:
Kentucky started the third set with their best performance of the day, jumping out to an 8-1 lead. The Wildcats continued their efficient attacking and strong floor defense, led by libero Molly Tuozzo. Kentucky maintained their pressure, growing the lead to 12-4, and closed out the match with a 25-8 victory.

Up next, Kentucky will face No. 6 Penn State at Historic Memorial Coliseum on Friday evening at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast live on SEC Network and the ESPN app. Tickets are available at UKathletics.com/tickets.

2024 Bluegrass Battle Standings