The Kentucky Wildcats volleyball team had a week to prepare for their Sunday matchup against rival Louisville. Every contest against Louisville matters, and this one was especially epic with both teams ranked in the top five this week. In the end, the Wildcats stood tall, winning 3-1 (19-25, 29-27, 25-21, 25-19).
The Cardinals got out to a good start, and won the first set, but Kentucky quickly responded, winning an exciting second set. Then, Kentucky turned it on. They jumped out to a 17-11 lead in the third set, and survived a late run to take the lead in the match. In set four, a 5-0 run led to a dominant point to finish off the match.
Brooklyn DeLeye and Morgan Gaerte each had 20 kills, with 22 and 20 respectively. Asia Thigpen added 14 more.
Defensively, Gaerte led the way with 4 blocks, and Lizzie Carr had 3. Molly Tuozzo had 21 digs, and Kassie O'Brien had 59 assists.
Sunday's win was the last of Kentucky's non-conference matches. They open SEC play with Vanderbilt on Wednesday at 9:00 P.M. ET. They're now 8-2 on the season.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky volleyball beats Louisville for rivalry win
