Several volleyball players with Kentucky ties earn All-America recognition
When Kentucky takes center stage Thursday night at the NCAA Final Four in Omaha, Neb., it will do so with six players who received All-America accolades Wednesday.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association named three Wildcats to its 14-player First Team — Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Madison Lilley and All-SEC performers Avery Skinner and Alli Stumler.
All-SEC selectee Azhani Tealer headlined the 14-member Second Team. SEC Defensive Player of the Year Gabby Curry made the 14-player Third Team.
Madi Skinner, another All-SEC player and a member of this year’s SEC All-Freshman Team, received All-America honorable mention.
Kentucky faces Washington in Thursday’s first national semifinal at 7 p.m. (ESPN). Texas takes on Wisconsin at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN).
Kentucky was the only school with three First Team All-America selections. Texas, Washington and Wisconsin had two apiece. Also represented were Baylor, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue and Utah.
Joining Tealer on the Second Team were Louisville’s Anna Stevenson and Western Kentucky’s Lauren Matthews.
Former Henry Clay High School standout Kaitlyn Hord of Penn State was named to the Third Team along with Kentucky’s Curry and Louisville’s Tori Dilfer.
Earning honorable mention along with Madi Skinner were Paige Briggs and Nadia Dieudonne of WKU, Anna DeBeer of Louisville, Olivia Lohmeier of Morehead State and Purdue’s Hayley Bush (Ryle High School).
The AVCA will name its Division I Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year on Thursday.
SEC tennis update
The UK women’s tennis team was defeated 4-0 by top-seeded Georgia in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in the nation and 18-1 overall, swept to straight-set victories in the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 singles matches and also captured the doubles point.
Kentucky’s Akvilė Paražinskaitė and Fiona Arrese, the nation’s No. 1-ranked doubles team entering the tournament, was defeated for only the second time this season, both times by the same opponent. Georgia’s eighth-ranked team of Katarina Jokic and Ariana Arsenault beat the Wildcats’ duo, 7-5.
SEC No. 9 seed UK (15-8) made its way to the quarterfinals by knocking off No. 8 Mississippi 4-2 on Tuesday.
▪ Kentucky’s men, seeded No. 5 in the SEC Tournament at Fayetteville, Ark., advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 sweep of Arkansas on Tuesday. The Wildcats (18-6) were to face No. 4 seed Texas A&M (15-7) on Wednesday.
Kentucky rolled past Arkansas by taking the doubles point, plus singles victories in the Nos. 2, 5 and 6 singles matches.
Softball vs. Louisville
Fourteenth-ranked Kentucky’s softball game against Louisville at John Cropp Stadium on Wednesday night ended too late to include a story in today’s Herald-Leader. Visit Kentucky.com to read about the game, or watch for follow-up coverage in Friday’s print edition.