Kentucky Volleyball thwarts Ole Miss comeback in 3-2 win

No. 6 Kentucky Volleyball Team squeaked by the Ole Miss Rebels (12-1) 3 sets to 2 to advance to 9-3 on the season and 2-0 in the SEC.

The ‘Cats came out and won the first two sets, but let the home team steal the next two to force a game 5. But in the fifth set, Kentucky put the hammer down against one of the stronger teams in the SEC, handing Ole Miss its first loss of the season.

💪💪 KENTUCKY TOUGH 💪💪#WeAreUK x @SEC pic.twitter.com/QnnBY8TGHG

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) September 30, 2021

Here’s how it all went down:

First Set

The first set was tight throughout, as both teams changed leads every couple of points. After an uncharacteristic start to the season on the attacking front, Kentucky Volleyball finally saw the real Alli Stumler return to form.

She recorded eight kills throughout the first set and with the score at 23-20, she put the final two points away to give the Wildcats the first set, 25-20.

Second Set

The second set was also tightly contested from start to finish. Kentucky got on top 14-12 but a 4-0 Ole Miss run gave the Rebels the lead down the stretch. UK trailed 20-17 a few points later but a block and kill by Elise Goetzinger brought the ‘Cats within one.

A few moments later, Kentucky Volleyball put together a run to take the lead with Lauren Tharp at the service stripe. A pair of kills by Azhani Tealer pushed Kentucky in front before a Rebel attacking error gave UK the second set, 25-23.

Third Set

Kentucky got on top 4-0 in the third. They were cruising, already up 2 sets to 0. But here’s where Kentucky Volleyball showed its youth yet again. Almost immediately after the 4-0 start, UK allowed five straight Ole Miss points, and the Rebels kept runnin’ from there.

They eventually pushed the lead out to 18-14, but Kentucky was able to close the gap and tie the game at 19-19 shortly after. Following the tie, Ole Miss’ libero stepped to the line and served another 5-0 run for the Rebels to earn set-point at 24-19.

A few plays later, Ole Miss won their first set, 25-20.

Fourth Set

This was the worst set by far for Kentucky. Ole Miss got out to a quick lead, which they never relinquished. Like in the first set last weekend vs. Missouri, Kentucky fell to a 19-11 deficit. Except this time they weren’t able to overcome it.

A Wildcat attack that was hitting well above .400 through the first few sets had evaporated as the Rebels had completely overtaken the game on the scoreboard and in the stat sheet. The Rebels breezed to a fourth-set victory, 25-16, and entered the deciding fifth with all of the momentum.

Fifth Set

Honestly, despite the increasingly poor performance in the third and fourth sets, I was confident Kentucky would come out and take the fifth set. That’s just how this team has operated. They’re rarely consistent, except in the fact that they often play their best when demanded to. When they need to win points or sets, they typically do.

Wednesday night was no different. Craig Skinner entrusted senior Maddie Berezowitz to serve at the start of the set, and with her at the line, Kentucky Volleyball got out to a swift 6-1 lead and never looked back.

The lead stayed above three for the remainder of the set as it was Madi Skinner who sent the final two kills into the hardwood to finally give Kentucky the win in the fifth, 15-9.

Stats & Recap

Well, this Kentucky Volleyball Team certainly has a knack for theatre. Against Missouri, they won 3-0 but overcame late deficits in all three sets, including the aforementioned 19-11 lead the Tigers held in the opening set. They took ranked Louisville and Stanford teams to five sets each and nearly pushed then-second-ranked Wisconsin to five on the road.

Alas, tonight they won, although they made things harder than necessary.

Kentucky’s two ace attackers, Alli Stumler and Madi Skinner, were relied on heavily to generate kills as both surpassed 20 on the night. Stumler recorded 22, her highest mark of the season, and hit .364%, her highest rate since opening day. She’s back, ladies and gentlemen. And Skinner added 20 kills along with 10 digs — a double-double for her.

The freshmen led in the other categories, as libero Eleanor Beavin recorded 14 digs and setter Emma Grome finished with 48 assists.

Overall, a win is a win. And this Ole Miss team is much better than their SEC preseason ranking of 12th. Heading into tonight, the Rebels were 12-0 with a win over a ranked Western Kentucky squad. This team was 26th in Coaches Poll votes and probably should have been in the top-25.

Kentucky will be back in action a week from tonight next Wednesday at home vs. Mississippi State. Make sure you come on out to Memorial Coliseum to cheer on the reigning champs!