No. 15 Kentucky Volleyball Prepares for Home Opener Against No. 10 Pittsburgh

Volleyball season has officially arrived and week one was filled with upsets, marquee matchups, and a big-time shuffle of the AVCA Top 25. And after going 1-1 over two days last weekend, the No. 15 Kentucky volleyball team now prepares for its first big challenge of the young season: a pair of matches against No. 10 Pittsburgh as a part of the 84 Lumber Volleyball Classic.

Scouting the Opponent

The Panthers enter the 2023 season coming off two-straight Final Four appearances over the last two years, the most recent of which ended in a five-set loss to conference rival Louisville. They’re led by a host of upperclassmen, including 2^nd Team AVCA All-American Valeria Vazquez Gomez. Vasquez Gomez ranked second on the team in kills for Pittsburgh during her junior campaign, averaging 2.85 kills per set on a .241 clip. She, along with freshman Torrey Stafford, will likely make up the one-two punch for the Panthers on the outside.

But Pittsburgh’s success has come in large part because of a balanced attack from all three positions at the net. In their most recent victory over Texas Rio Grande Valley, four players totaled at least six kills in the match and each hit at least .261. 

Like any other team, the Panthers love to get their middles involved as often as possible. And a familiar opponent will be looking back at Kentucky from the middle this weekend, as Florida transfer Bre Kelley joins the Panthers for her first season in Pittsburgh. Kelley led the Gators in blocks 15 times last season and ranked second on the team in total blocks (124.0) and fourth in kills (203). 

A Rocky Start

As highly-touted as the Panthers are, however, the beginning of their 2023 campaign hasn’t been spot-free. Despite winning a close first set against No. 17 BYU in their first match of the season, the Cougars came out and stifled Pittsburgh in the following three sets, taking the match 3-1 and handing the Panthers their first loss of the season. Pittsburgh totaled just 37 kills through four sets of play and committed 32 errors as a team, good for a hitting clip of only .034. 

Kentucky has had its own share of struggles, though. Despite a strong showing in an exhibition match against No. 24 WKU before the start of the season, the Cats struggled mightily against Colorado State in a loss on opening night. The Rams capitalized on Kentucky’s miscues all night long, as the Cats totaled 21 hitting errors and 13 service errors through four sets. Colorado State out-blocked Kentucky 12.0 – 2.0 and was forced into only 10 total hitting errors. 

Both Pittsburgh and Kentucky bounced back with solid wins after suffering their first losses. But this weekend will be an entirely new challenge as each team will host the other in a span of two days. The Cats will welcome Pittsburgh to Rupp Arena in Lexington for their home opener on Friday night before traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers inside Fitzgerald Field House on Sunday.

Recipe for Success

The good news for Kentucky, however, is that many of the problems that surfaced in the first two matches actually came because of self-inflicted mistakes. Despite an experienced roster, many of whom saw significant playing time last season, the Cats just seemed out of sync with one another. Missed connections, trouble in serve receive, and a lack of communication plagued the Wildcats with error after error all weekend long. 

However, if Kentucky can limit its own mistakes and cut down on the errors, its high-powered offense can give the Panthers fits. Six Wildcats are currently averaging at least 2.13 kills per set this season and Kentucky is hitting .305 as a team. In their win over Northern Colorado, Kentucky saw four Wildcats with at least 10 kills, led by 17 from senior Reagan Rutherford. Emma Grome directed the offense to 60 total kills on a .339 clip and totaled 45 assists. 

Against Pittsburgh, Kentucky will need to lean heavily on that fast offense to ensure they keep the Panthers’ block off balance. Both teams have proven to be error-prone in each of their losses, so limiting mistakes will go a long way in determining a winner. 

First serve for Friday’s match at Rupp Arena is set for 7:00 pm and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and over the airwaves on the UK Sports Network. Fans are encouraged to arrive to the match early as the Wildcats attempt to break the all-time attendance record. Tickets can be purchased at this link and fans can park at Rupp Arena free of charge by showing their match ticket upon entry into the parking lots. Gates to Rupp Arena will open one hour prior to first serve. Sunday’s match is set for a 12:00 pm start time in Pittsburgh and will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.