LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — After falling behind two sets to one in front of a raucous crowd of 10,787 at the KFC Yum! Center, No. 6 Kentucky didn’t just rally. It roared.
The Wildcats delivered a relentless fourth and fifth set surge — fueled by dominant defense, a breakout bench performance, and the surgical setting of Ava Sarafa — to run away late from No. 3 Louisville 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-12, 15-7) Thursday night in the anticipated renewal of the rivalry of national volleyball powers.
They call it a Bluegrass rivalry, but in the decisive sets, it was a blue tsunami.
Brooklyn DeLeye (24 kills) and Eva Hudson (17 kills) led the way offensively for Kentucky, but this was a night defined by depth and defense. The Wildcats finished with 17 team blocks, got double-digit digs from four players, and held Louisville's efficient offense to just 47 kills and a .072 hitting percentage for the match.
“Defensively, we haven’t played like that in a long time,” UK coach Craig Skinner said. “To hold a team like Louisville to 47 kills in a five-set match is pretty impressive.”
For Louisville, the loss snapped a four-match winning streak in the series and came at the tail end of a brutal stretch — four matches in eight days, including two top-10 showdowns.
The Cardinals were sharp early, taking the first and third sets behind the blocking of Hannah Sherman (11 blocks, 9 kills) and the balanced attack of Payton Petersen (14 kills), but faded late under Kentucky’s relentless pressure and pinpoint serving.
Asia Thigpen, who had a quiet night until the fourth set, sparked a pivotal run at the service line, rattling off six straight points to blow open the frame — part of a 13-1 Kentucky run that flipped the match.
“A rivalry match is more about our people who follow us all year long,” Skinner said. “I’m just happy for our fans. We always say we play for something bigger than ourselves.”
Louisville coach Dan Meske tipped his cap: “We didn’t have enough offensive solutions. Credit to Kentucky. That’s a great team that’s going to have a great year in the SEC.”
The Wildcats (6-2) leave town with their first win over Louisville since 2019 — and a fresh dose of belief after early-season setbacks against Nebraska and Pitt. The Cardinals (7-2) will regroup with the ACC slate ahead.
“This was bigger than what was on our chest,” said UK’s DeLeye. “It was about everybody here that cared, maybe even more than we did out there.”
And Thursday night, it showed.
Top Sports Coverage:
How to Watch | No. 19 Indiana vs. No. 9 Illinois: TV info, spread, matchups, what to know
Male High School football set to open new home field against Trinity on Friday
CRAWFORD | The Louisville-Kentucky rivalry has found a new power center — in volleyball
Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
