DeLeye, Thigpen Shine as No. 15 Kentucky Downs Tennessee in Knoxville

Sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye totaled 23 kills and freshman Asia Thigpen finished with 15 as No. 15 Kentucky took down Tennessee in four sets Wednesday night (25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 25-21) down in Knoxville. 

Prior to the match, the Volunteers boasted one of the most efficient offenses in the Southeastern Conference, ranking first in the league since SEC play began in hitting percentage with an average clip of .303. On the other side of the net, the Wildcats sat in the middle of the pack as they’ve struggled all season long to find a consistent offensive attack.

Wednesday night, however, that wasn’t remotely the case. 

Thanks to 50 assists from senior setter Emma Grome, the Kentucky offense found the floor with an impressive 63 total kills on a .340 hitting percentage. Three Wildcats eclipsed double figures, including Brooke Bultema and Thigpen who each recorded career highs. 

As she has for much of the season, DeLeye led the offensive charge all night long as she recorded a match-high 23 kills on a .304 clip. Arguably, though, it was Thigpen who stole the spotlight against the Volunteers as she totaled 15 kills with only one error on a sweltering .583 clip. In her first match starting as a six-rotation player, the freshman also picked up eight digs, an assist, and a block. 

Not to be outdone by the left sides, Bultema smashed 14 kills out of the middle on a .458 clip to round out the scoring for the Wildcats. Megan Wilson finished with seven kills of her own and Jordyn Dailey had three. 

Defensively, Kentucky saw five players tally eight or more digs on the evening. Sophomore libero Molly Tuozzo led the way with a match-high 16 digs, Grome finished with 11, and DeLeye and Eleanor Beavin each had ten. 

With the win, Kentucky improves to 10-7 on the season and 4-2 in the SEC. Next up, they’ll travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a matchup with the Crimson Tide on Sunday. First serve against Alabama is set for 3:00 pm and will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.