Kentucky Volleyball set to begin title defense as 2021 season kicks off

The nationally-crowned UK Volleyball team faces a short turnaround and holes to fill ahead of 2021 season

The embers of April’s championship rager on State Street have finally burned out as just four months later the Kentucky Volleyball team faces a brand new season and a chance to defend the program’s first-ever title.

The Volleyball ‘Cats are as talented as they’ve ever been (well…maybe not quite as loaded as last Spring). The Champs lost three pillars of their core to graduation, including a pair of seniors who claimed “we’re the dopest” on their way out of the door. Ha ha ha. They absolutely were.

Madison Lilley and Gabby Curry were tremendous competitors. Lilley is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of UK athletics. She ought to have a personal Kentucky Volleyball banner hanging next to Valerie Still someday.

Curry accomplished equally as much as a team member and finished her career as one of the all-time leaders in digs at UK. They both leave champions, the result of a program building to the pinnacle, 16 years in the making. All the way from the bottom.

However, it’s time to say goodbye to the departees and hello to the no. 1 recruiting class in the country, again.

Kentucky Volleyball enters the season with a target on its back, not a bow and quiver in its hand. They checked in at no. 3 in the preseason poll, two spots behind first-place Texas. I don’t know, I thought that was settled a few months ago. Oh well.

Looking at the Kentucky Volleyball Schedule…

Friday, the Kentucky Volleyball team will finally get back on the road to leave SEC Country for regular-season games for the first time in two years. The season kicks off in Dayton for a multi-team tournament that will feature games against Texas State (10:30 a.m. Friday), Dayton (7 p.m. Friday), and Cincinnati (Noon Saturday).

The following weekend, Kentucky returns home to host its own multi-team tournament. Then, they’ll face a handful of strong non-conference opponents before rearing up for a tough SEC slate.

All told, this Kentucky Volleyball team will play matches against four ranked teams as well as the teams currently slated 26th, 27th, and 28th (twice) in the coaches poll. Plus, they just split a scrimmage with 16th-ranked Western Kentucky.

It’s another loaded slate for another loaded team. If you want to read up on the latest from KSR on the team, check the following links:

• Craig Skinner, Alli Stumler and Jordyn Williams speak to media following Fan Day
• Notes and analysis on every player from the intrasquad scrimmage
• The battle for setter: Emma Grome vs. Cameron Scheitzach

We’ll have you covered throughout the season. Come join the UK Volleyball wave!