Kentucky Volleyball hosting Texas A&M, LSU to begin five-game homestand

The 14-7 (8-2 SEC) Kentucky Volleycats are in the running to win the SEC, but first, they have to finish out the season with a five-game homestand.

No. 13 Kentucky’s string of home games are all against unranked SEC opponents, meaning on paper, the ‘Cats should come out with five wins. Plus, Kentucky is on a five-game victory streak — all on the road — the most recent win coming as a sweep over Georgia. Up next for the ‘Cats are two crucial matches: Texas A&M (receiving votes) on Friday and LSU on Sunday.

Texas A&M – Friday, Nov. 8

On Friday, the ‘Cats take on the Texas A&M Aggies at Memorial Coliseum. Currently, the Aggies are 15-5 (6-4 SEC), their most recent loss coming from the 10-9 (4-6 SEC) Mississippi State Bulldogs. Despite falling to MSU, Texas A&M had been coming off of a three-game win streak. One of those three games was a 3-2 victory over then-No. 7 Texas.

Now, the Longhorns are ranked below the ‘Cats, following three straight five-set losses to the Aggies, Missouri, and Oklahoma. While the ‘Cats should come out with a win on Friday, there are a couple of Aggies to watch out for.

Logan Lednicky – Junior Opposite Hitter

Last month, Lednicky earned her first SEC honor of the season as SEC Offensive Player of the Week following a 23-kill game against Auburn. The junior added 18 digs in that game, producing her second double-double of the season. Her 23 kills, however, marked the 50th time in her career that she crept into double-digit kills.

So yeah, Lednicky is efficient.

Nationally, she ranks in the top 30 in points (20th) and kills (26th) per set. Against Texas, she matched her season-high kill count on Oct. 23, contributing to the team’s shocking upset. On Oct. 20, she recorded her 1,000th career kill in a win against Arkansas.

Maddie Waak – Junior Setter

Back in early September, Maddie Waak was named SEC Setter of the Week for her most efficient weekend of the season. The junior setter led her team to a .340 weekend hitting clip thanks to her 36 assists against South Alabama and 49 assists against McNeese. Thanks to Waak’s efficiency, three Aggies reached double-digit kills.

Since then, Waak’s performance has slowed, but she’s still as consistent as ever. She recorded a season-high 58 assists against New Hampshire on Sept. 14 but has been recording assists in the high 20s and low 30s for most of SEC play. Waak transferred from LSU this past season after playing in all 28 matches and 103 sets for the Tigers.

First serve at Memorial Coliseum takes place at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on the SEC Network+.

LSU – Sunday, Nov. 10

For the second game of Kentucky’s homestand, the ‘Cats take on the LSU Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m. EST. The 13-8 (5-5 SEC) Tigers are coming off a 3-1 win against Alabama on Sunday. LSU totaled 64 kills and only 18 errors to round out the victory, giving them an average clip of .307. Just like Texas A&M, Kentucky should easily defeat the Tigers, but again, there are a couple of talented players for the ‘Cats to keep an eye on.

Jurnee Robinson – Sophomore Outside Hitter

Despite having logged 10 double-doubles and 10 20-kill performances this season, Robinson has yet to earn any SEC honors. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter was named last year’s AVCA South Freshman of the Year, as well as a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team. On Sept. 9, she recorded a season-high 28 kills against FIU and a season-high 31.5 points against Maryland on August 30.

Angelina Lee – Sophomore Middle Blocker

Angelina Lee came to LSU as a freshman, playing in 11 matches and a total of 37 sets. Over those games, she produced 34 blocks and 48 kills on a .225 clip. She recorded a freshman season-high of six blocks on Sept. 22, 2023, against Kentucky. Now, Lee boasts a season-high 19 kills and eight blocks. The blocks came early in the season against Samford, but her 19 kills came during the Tigers’ win over Alabama on Nov. 3.

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