Kentucky volleyball remains in control of SEC title hopes after series split at Florida
Kentucky volleyball has enjoyed historic success in the SEC in recent seasons, and the Wildcats remain in position to extend their title-winning streak in 2022.
UK entered this season having won at least a share of the SEC championship in each of the last five seasons.
After splitting a crucial two-match weekend series at Florida, Kentucky remains in control of its conference title hopes.
No. 10 Florida (now 21-5 overall) and No. 18 Kentucky (now 18-7 overall) entered this weekend’s two-match set in Gainesville, Florida, tied atop the SEC standings, each with 12-2 conference records.
Florida swept Kentucky on Saturday, and the Cats returned the favor on Sunday.
The result is that Florida and Kentucky will both enter the final two matches of the regular season next weekend with 13-3 records in the SEC, and both in control of winning at least a share of the league title.
Florida sweeps Kentucky on Saturday
The first matchup of the weekend between the Cats and Gators decisively went the way of the home team, as Florida swept Kentucky, 3-0.
Late-set execution came back to cost the Cats in the match. Both the second and third sets were tied at 20 between UK and Florida, but in both sets Kentucky won just one of the remaining six points. The Wildcats dropped both sets, 25-21.
UK also committed eight service errors in the match
Florida recorded a hitting percentage of .310 for the match, compared to Kentucky’s .135, which marked the lowest hitting percentage in an SEC match for Kentucky since 2016.
Only senior outside hitter Adanna Rollins (13) had double-digit kills for Kentucky.
Kentucky responds, downs Florida in straight sets Sunday
As much as the Cats struggled in Saturday’s match, the response Sunday was one of championship quality.
Senior middle blocker Azhani Tealer led the way with 11 kills and seven blocks as UK won in a sweep, including a 25-17 third set triumph.
“Yesterday was not Kentucky volleyball,” Tealer told the SEC Network after the win. “We have a great legacy (at UK). So many of my teammates before have won (the SEC) four in a row, and I want to do that, too. I want to be a part of that list. So, I was really thinking about that today.”
Sophomore outside hitter Erin Lamb and Rollins each also had 11 kills in the win.
As an offense, Kentucky rebounded to record a hitting percentage of .267 for the match.
Defensively, UK held Florida to a .163 hitting percentage.
SEC championship to come down to final weekend
Kentucky and Florida both enter the final weekend of the regular season with a 13-3 record in conference play.
UK will play two matches at home inside Memorial Coliseum in Lexington against South Carolina, which is 6-9 in conference play. The matches will be played at 4 p.m. Friday (also UK’s Senior Day) and 1 p.m. Saturday.
Florida will play two matches on the road at Ole Miss, which is 7-9 in conference play. Those matches will be played at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.
If both UK and Florida finish with the same regular-season record in SEC matches, they will be co-champions.
Either Florida or Kentucky, or both schools, have won the SEC championship in every season dating back to 2017.
