DeLeye, Grome Lead Three-Seeded Kentucky Past Missouri into Elite Eight

Three Wildcats eclipsed double figures in kills as three-seeded Kentucky downed seven-seeded Missouri in four sets Thursday afternoon (25-20, 25-20, 16-25, 25-13) in Pittsburgh to advance into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021.

As she has for much of the year, sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye led the offensive charge for the Cats with an impressive 22 kills on a blistering .419 clip. DeLeye added six digs, a trio of service aces, and a pair of blocks to the winning effort as well, rounding out a balanced afternoon in the box score.

Setter setter Emma Grome did a masterful job directing the Kentucky attack as five Wildcats totaled at least four kills en route to a .347 hitting percentage. Grome tallied a match-high 50 assists as she added to her rally-scoring era record in all-time assists at Kentucky.

Senior Megan Wilson matched her Kentucky record with 13 kills on a .375 clip and Brooke Bultema added 10 terminations of her own. Jordyn Dailey found the floor with five kills, Erin Lamb had four, and Grome and Asia Thigpen each totaled a pair.

Defensively, Molly Tuozzo anchored Kentucky’s back line with 11 digs and four assists. Grome and Eleanor Beavin each added 10 digs of their own, DeLeye had six, and Jordyn Dailey picked up two.

At the net, Dailey and Grome each picked up three rejections to lead the Cats and DeLeye and Bultema both had two. Missouri hit .241 in the match and totaled 20 errors through four sets of play. In what proved to be the decisive fourth set, Kentucky held the Tigers to only eight kills and nine errors, good for a -.037 slugging clip.

With the win, Kentucky advances into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021 when they won the National Championship. The victory also marked the third time the Cats have taken down Missouri this season. They improve to 23-7 on the year and will take on the winner of Pittsburgh/Oregon on Saturday with a berth in the Final Four on the line.