No. 2 Kentucky volleyball (20-2, 15-0 SEC) clinched its ninth consecutive SEC title with a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-20, 25-12) over Arkansas (5-20,1-13 SEC).

Kentucky is known for its dynamic outside hitter duo of Eva Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye, who have combined for 763 kills this season. However, the true offensive standout has been 6-foot-1 freshman setter Kassie O’Brien.

O’Brien has set the pace all season with 875 assists, breaking her own program record.  She recorded 54 assists against Oklahoma, surpassing the previous mark of 50 she set against Alabama.

On top of her achievements on the court, O’Brien has been named SEC Freshman of the Week four times, SEC Setter of the Week four times, SEC Player of the Week once and a player on the NCAA Rotation of the Week, overall dominating the SEC all around.

Despite being a freshman in a predominantly upperclassmen lineup, she doesn’t let the pressure get to her.

“We talk a lot about that pressure is a privilege, and so really just leaning on that,” O’Brien said.

However, the big question now is whether Kentucky will be able to beat the winner of match five in the SEC Tournament, which is either Oklahoma or the winner of Arkansas and Auburn. 

With O’Brien being one of the best if not the best setter in the SEC paired with Hudson and DeLeye’s kills, Kentucky is looking at another SEC victory and possibly taking the SEC Tournament trophy back home to Lexington. 

“Leaning into my teammates, and they are just there to pick me up, and I feel like everyone else is on the same page of picking each other up,” O’Brien said. 

Kentucky next match will be in the 2025 Allstate SEC Volleyball Tournament located in Savannah, Georgia, Sunday, Nov. 23rd at noon.