Perfection at its finest: Kentucky VB sweeps Auburn to kickstart weekend
You’ve heard of business trips, but what if I told you business was handled brilliantly at home? That’s exactly what the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats volleyball team did Saturday afternoon against the Auburn Tigers. A 3-0 victory for the Wildcats moved them into second place in the SEC. The sweep was the third time this season that Kentucky has beaten a conference opponent without conceding a set.
Coming off of six days rest after the 3-1 win over Texas A&M, Kentucky showed no rust whatsoever. The sweep of the Tigers moves them to 13-6 (8-2) on the season, only a half-game behind Florida. The ‘Cats have now won eight of their last nine and prove to be hitting the right strides at the most pivotal parts of the year.
Party=Started
There was truly no better way to start the match. Audrey Whitworth’s ace was the first point recorded for Kentucky as they looked to snag the opening set. Adanna Rollins looked unstoppable in the first set, as she took home seven kills in the opener. Her right-handed blast put the Wildcats up 12-10 early and there was no looking back.
That wasn’t all from Rollins, as she snuck in an ace to extend Kentucky’s lead to 18-13. Rollins kept the good mojo going with a kill that put the ‘Cats up 21-19.
Elise Goetzinger joined in on the fun a few moments later with a kill that extended the Blue-White lead to 23-20. Kentucky went on to win the first set 25-21. Eleanor Beavin was all over the place with five digs of her own.
Let’s start cleaning
The second and third sets didn’t disappoint either, with Kentucky coming out victorious in both efforts. Rollins continued to shine, picking up her 10th kill which put the ‘Cats up 15-12 in the second. What could she do to follow that up? Just an ace that increased the lead to 20-14. Rollins finished with two aces in the match.
Off the bench, freshman Haley Melby was phenomenal. She had five kills in the match before her commanding spike made it 23-18 in the second set. Kentucky made quick work of the remaining points. Azhani Tealer sealed the deal in the second with a kill that put the Wildcats up 2-0 in the match.
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The third set was no different than the previous two, there was dominance involved. Reagan Rutherford, who came off the bench in the match, logged her ninth kill putting Kentucky up 15-8 in the third. The return to action wouldn’t stop there.
Rutherford finished the match with 12 kills, including one that capped off a 5-0 Wildcat run, inching them closer to victory up 22-13 in the third frame. Her next kill ended the match with a 25-16, third-set victory. Bring out the brooms.
Back again on Sunday
Although Rollins’ game-high 17 kills proved to be a problem for Auburn, the Tigers will be looking for vengeance on Sunday afternoon. The finale to the weekend series will begin at 1 p.m. as Kentucky looks to keep the brooms flowing in hopes of a weekend sweep.
Costumes are advised for those attending the contest as it’s Kentucky’s Halloween match this year. Costumes and brooms? Sign me up. Doesn’t sound like there’s a better way to spend a Sunday.
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