MATCH STATS
- #14 Kentucky def. #17 USC 3-1 (25-16, 11-25, 25-19, 25-19)
- Kentucky moves to 5-1; USC falls to 4-2
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Box Score
Kentucky won its second match of the day at the Bluejay Invitational, following a five-set win over Northern Iowa with a four-set victory over No. 17 USC. The Trojans split their Saturday matches in Omaha, sweeping host No. 8 Creighton before falling to the Wildcats.
The Wildcats won every statistical category, besting USC in hitting percentage (.281 to .246), in kills (56-44), in blocks (7-6), in aces (8-5) and in digs (47-46).
Sophomore outside hitter Leah Edmond led the way for UK with 21 kills, four aces and two blocks, while hitting at a team-best .347 clip. Freshman outside Avery Skinner added 15 kills, while hitting .345. Senior middle blocker Kaz Brown put up a team-best four stuffs. Freshman libero Gabby Curry (15) and freshman setter Madison Lilley (10) paced the Wildcats in the backcourt with double-digit dig tallies. Lilley rounded out a double double with 47 assists.
Sophomore outside Khalia Lanier (15) and senior opposites Niki Withers (13) and Brittany Abercrombie (10) shared the offensive load for the Trojans, each turning in double-digit efforts. Lanier just missed a double double with nine digs, while adding a team-best two aces. Junior middle Brittany Welsh put up four blocks, while sophomore setter Cindy Marina led the defense with 10 digs, followed by Lanier and junior libero Victoria Garrick (9). Marina finished out a double double with 12 assists.
Kentucky started the match wtih a 4-0 run, incluidng a trio of Edmond putaways. The Wildcats went on to lead by five at 6-1 and boosted the edge to eight at 16-8. An Edmonds ace and two Skinner kills helped pushed the margin to 10 at 21-11. A Brooke Morgan kill gave UK its first set-point chance at 24-13. USC scored three straight, including two Lanier putaways, to extend the stanza, but Edmonds ended it the next point with another kill.
USC took control of Set 2, leading 2-0 at the start and building to a 15-7 advantage midway through. Six Wildcat miscues aided the Trojan run. The set was out of reach for UK at that point as the team would get no closer than seven the rest of the way. USC scored six straight and the Wildcats committed three more errors as the Trojans went up 23-10. A kill by Danielle Geiger and another UK error capped the 25-11 drubbing. Kentucky hit -.103 in the stanza.
Both teams played at a high level offensively in Set 3, with Kentucky managing a .471 clip and USC checking in at .423. The difference in the set were four UK kills, a hitting error and an ace. The Wildcats raced ahead 8-3 as Darian Mack and Brown tallied two kills apiece. Another Mack kill made it 12-6 UK. USC cut the margin to two at 15-13 on a Kentucky miscue. The Wildcats scored six of the next eight to go up 21-15. An Edmond kill gave UK its first set point try at 24-18. Lanier thwarted the first attempt, but had a hitting error the following point to seal the Kentucky win.
The Wildcats overcame an early 3-1 deficit in Set 4 to build a 15-9 lead at the midway point. Two UK aces and a three kills and a block by Emily Franklin were key in the rally. Down seven at 22-15, USC managed three straight points, incluidng a Garrick ace, but it was not enough to pull the Trojans back into the fray. A block, a kill and an ace by Edmond accounted for three of the final four points as Kentucky closed out he match with at 25-19 victory.
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