Kentucky Volleyball Secures No. 2 Regional Seed (No. 8 Overall) in NCAA Tournament

Kentucky Volleyball Earns No. 2 Seed in NCAA Tournament

Kentucky volleyball clinched its seventh consecutive Southeastern Conference championship on Saturday, securing a two-seed and the No. 8 overall seed in the upcoming 2023 NCAA Tournament.

The news was revealed during the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show on Sunday night on ESPN. The two-seeded Wildcats will face Wofford in the opening round of the Upper Left Region at Rupp Arena on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN+). A potential second-round matchup is set for Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. EST (ESPN+) against the winner of No. 7 James Madison-Baylor.

Nebraska, Arkansas, and Florida were named the top-seeded teams in the region. Despite falling to Nebraska earlier in the season, Kentucky has secured wins against Arkansas and Florida twice this season.

Closing the season with a 16-game winning streak, Kentucky finished with a 19-7 record and a remarkable 16-1 mark in the SEC. This marks Kentucky’s 19th straight season of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky named the two seed in Nebraska’s region. FOUR SEC teams in this region. In fact, Kentucky could have to play Arkansas AGAIN in the Regional Semifinal to get to the Elite Eight… 👀

— Hunter Mitchell (@HMitchell14) November 26, 2023

For a detailed breakdown of the bracket and Kentucky’s path in the tournament, tune in to the live episode of “Point Kentucky” on the KSR YouTube channel later today. Hunter Mitchell, Leah Edmond, and assistant coach Merideth Jewell will provide insights and analysis.

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Kentucky Dominates All-SEC Awards

Following their seventh consecutive SEC victory, Kentucky earned multiple accolades in the Southeastern Conference postseason awards. Five Kentucky players were named to the 18-person All-SEC team, the highest number compared to other programs in the league. In addition, Brooklyn DeLeye received the SEC Freshman of the Year award, and head coach Craig Skinner shared the SEC Coach of the Year honor.

These are the All-SEC selections for Kentucky:

Eleanor Beavin | All-SEC

• 4.33 digs per set
• 0.53 assists per set
• 0.30 aces per set

Brooklyn DeLeye | SEC Freshman of the Year, All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman Team

• 4.24 kills per set
• .335 hitting percentage
• 2.26 digs per set

Emma Grome | All-SEC

• NCAA leader in assists per set with 12.68
• 1.85 digs per set
• 0.42 blocks per set

Reagan Rutherford | All-SEC

• 3.36 kills per set
• .336 hitting percentage
• 1.06 blocks per set

Azhani Tealer | All-SEC

• Fifth-straight year earning All-SEC honors
• 1.02 blocks per set
• .404 hitting percentage

Molly Tuozzo | SEC All-Freshman Team

• 2.30 digs per set
• 19 aces, one off the team lead
• 0.38 assists per set