Kentucky advances to first national championship in program history

Kentucky+Wildcats+outside+hitter+Avery+Skinner+%284%29+dives+for+the+ball+during+the+UK+vs.+Ole+Miss+game+on+Saturday%2C+March+13%2C+2021%2C+at+Memorial+Coliseum+in+Lexington%2C+Kentucky.+UK+won+3-1.+Photo+by+Jack+Weaver+%7C+Staff

Kentucky Wildcats outside hitter Avery Skinner (4) dives for the ball during the UK vs. Ole Miss game on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. UK won 3-1. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff

Barkley Truax

“This whole trip, it was a business trip,” Allie Stumler said.

No. 2 Kentucky defeated No. 6 Washington 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17) Thursday evening to advance to the volleyball national championship game Saturday night.

The opening set went just as any had for the Wildcats all season long, cruising to a 1-0 lead early on. The Huskies put the breaks on Kentucky as they handed the Wildcats their first set loss of the NCAA tournament. They had previously won 10 in a row prior to set two.

Kentucky fell victim to an 8-2 run late in the second after leading 20-15 behind some stellar Husky serving. “They have six really good servers… Each person who goes back there, the passer feels pressure,” Craig Skinner said postgame.Behind a successful Washington challenge on a net violation, the Huskies reduced the blue lead from 23-20 to 22-21 and didn’t let up to tie the game at one set a piece. 

The Huskies dominated Kentucky early in the third, leading the Wildcats 22-17. Five kills throughout a 9-1 run by Avery Skinner capped off a miraculous comeback from Kentucky and they took set three by a thread. 

“This year, she has really given herself to this whole team,” Stumler said about Avery Skinner. “It’s awesome to see her succeed and be given the awards and accolades she deserves.”

“We just had to continue to play the point, rinse and repeat,” Coach Skinner said about the third set. “I thought that we weren’t serving very tough; I thought our serves were too high above the net.”

“We adjusted our serving strategy a little bit and adjusted our defense slightly, but it was the players making plays and executing. Bottom line,” Coach Skinner said.

The Wildcats carried that momentum into the fourth and final set as Kentucky ran away from the Huskies, mounting an 18-12 lead that essentially sealed Kentucky’s first national championship berth in program history.

The No. 2 overall seeded Wildcats succeeded on 65 kills on 141 attack attempts (.340) with 17 errors. Avery Skinner recorded a game-high 19 kills, while Stumler, Madi Skinner and Azhani Tealer were responsible for 13 kills each. Madison Lilley, the AVCA Division One Player Player of the Year recorded 63 assists on the night.

“Heads are turning and that’s so cool for Kentucky and women’s sports… that’s awesome and I’m so happy,” Stumler said.

Kentucky will play the winner of No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 4 Texas in the national championship game this Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.