No. 12 Kentucky volleyball (18-7, 12-2 SEC) won its ninth straight SEC game with a 3-0 sweep over Mississippi State (10-13, 4-10 SEC). 

It was a slow start for Kentucky offensively, not having its first kill till the fifth point on a Brooke Bultema attack.

This sparked the Cats’ offense as they went on an 8-1 run, giving them a 12-5 lead and forcing a Mississippi State timeout.

Kentucky continued to dominate going on a 3-1 run after Brooklyn DeLeye, who can do it all, had a block, making the score 19-9.

A Jordyn Dailey kill gave Kentucky set one with a score of 25-17.

Unlike the last game versus Georgia when DeLeye had 30 kills, in the first set, the Cats spread it out with Asia Thigpen leading the team with five kills while Bultema added four herself. 

Just as it finished off the first set, Kentucky started set two on a 4-1 run with Thigpen adding two more kills and an ace.

Erin Lamb checked in during the second set for the first time since getting injured on Sep. 21 against Stanford, getting a loud cheer from the fans.

“I have put a lot of work in to get where I am right now,” Lamb said. “It wasn’t easy, but I’ve put the work in to be in the position that I am, so I’m definitely proud of that.”

Mississippi State then went on a 5-1 run to take the lead 10-9.

The set continued to go back and forth into the media timeout after a DeLeye kill made the score 15-13.

The Bulldogs then went on a 5-1 run to make the score 19-18, cutting the lead to one.

After that, Lamb had her first kill of the SEC season, making the score 21-18 and forcing a Bulldog timeout. 

Megan Wilson’s kill finished off set two with a score of 25-20. 

Wilson led the team with eight kills with Thigpen right behind her at seven entering the third set.

Like the second set, Kentucky started the third set early on a 5-1 run.

Lamb’s three straight kills in set three gave Kentucky a comfortable 11-3 lead.

Daliey’s two straight kills and a block gave it a 16-6 lead, forcing Mississippi State to take another timeout.

A Lamb kill won the third set for Kentucky with a score of  25-11. 

It was a team effort offensively with six players with six or more kills.

“Good focus for a lot of people with several kills,” Kentucky Head Coach Craig Skinner said. “Great balance. Definitely needed down the stretch for the league and then going into the NCAA Tournament.”

Kentucky is now one win away from its eighth straight SEC championship and will next be in action Sunday at 4 p.m. ET as it takes on Arkansas for its Senior Day match.