No.13 Kentucky volleyball (9-6) will host No. 7 Texas (9-3) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Texas has won back-to-back national championships and enters the matchup sitting alone atop the SEC at 4-0 in conference play. Kentucky is fifth in the conference at 3-1 in SEC matches.
The contest will be the first conference matchup between the Wildcats and Longhorns after Texas joined the SEC prior to the season. The two last played in the 2020 National Championship where Kentucky won in four sets, earning its first national title in program history. Texas leads the all-time series 14-4, winning four of six in Lexington.
Texas comes into Lexington red hot as it has swept three consecutive SEC matches. The Longhorns most recently swept No. 18 Florida on Oct. 6, with sweeps of South Carolina and LSU in the two preceding matches.
Kentucky, on the other hand, lost its first SEC match at Auburn, but the Wildcats got back on track with three consecutive conference wins beating No. 15 Florida 3-1, Oklahoma 3-2 and sweeping Missouri.
Kentucky will be looking to tie the Longhorns in the conference standings and avoid falling further from the conference lead. The Wildcats have won the SEC in seven consecutive years so, with Texas currently leading the conference, the match is imperative to the Wildcats if they hope to continue their dominance.
Texas is led by two former Wildcats in Reagan Rutherford and Madisen Skinner, who were both one of 36 players named to the AVCA National Player of the Year watchlist for the 2024 season.
Skinner transferred to Texas following the 2020 season and was joined by Rutherford, who transferred after the 2023 season. Neither Cat has faced off against UK since transferring.
Skinner leads the Longhorns in kills this season with 161. The Wildcat defense will provide a tough challenge as they lead the conference in kills allowed, allowing just 10.8 per set. It will be important for Kentucky to contain Skinner and prevent her from taking over the game.
Another matchup to watch is between the Wildcats’ kill leader Brooklyn DeLeye and Marianna Singletary, who leads the SEC in blocks per set with 1.52. If DeLeye and the Wildcats want to succeed, avoiding Singletary will be crucial.
Two of the top teams in the country facing off makes for an exciting matchup on paper, but the storylines behind this match should guarantee that it is nothing short of electrifying. This compelling match will be aired live on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.
