Volleyball Downed at No. 13 Kentucky, 3-0

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The LSU Tigers fell to the 13th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 3-0 (22-25, 15-25, 18-25) Sunday afternoon at Historic Memorial Coliseum.

LSU falls to 13-10 and 5-7 in the SEC, and Kentucky improves to 16-7 overall and 10-2 in league play, extending its winning streak to seven consecutive matches.

The Tigers were held to a .189 hitting percentage and recorded 31 kills, four aces, three blocks and 40 digs. The Wildcats turned in 42 kills on a .297 hitting percentage and held the advantage with nine aces, five blocks, and 43 digs.

Lainee Pyles registered a match-high 12 kills on a .409 hitting percentage and landed two aces. Angelina Lee followed with seven kills and led at the net with two blocks. Bailey Ortega handed out 19 assists and dug eight balls, and libero Aly Kirkhoff anchored the defense with 10 digs.

Brooklyn DeLeye led Kentucky with 11 kills and had two blocks and one ace, and Asia Thigpen added eight kills on a .571 hitting percentage and had one ace to round out the top scorers for the Wildcats.

Set 1

LSU jumped out to an 11-9 lead behind a 3-0 run, but Kentucky went on to score six of the following nine points to hold a 15-14 lead at the media timeout and forced the Tigers to call their first timeout trailing 17-14 after a 5-0 run by the Wildcats. LSU fought back to a 20-20 tie, but UK went on a 3-0 run for a 23-20 advantage and closed the set with a 25-22 victory.

Set 2

The Wildcats were the first to 10 with a 10-7 margin and held a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. Kentucky grew its lead to double figures, at 22-12, behind eight unanswered points, and ran away with the set, 25-15.

Set 3

LSU used a 4-0 run to build a 5-3 lead, but the clubs found themselves knotted at points 10 and 12 before Kentucky took a 15-13 lead. The Wildcats later stretched their lead to 20-15 thanks to four consecutive points, and although LSU pulled within three points, that would be as close as they would get with Kentucky taking the set, 25-18.

Up Next

LSU concludes its home portion of the 2024 season with matches Wednesday night at 7 p.m. CT versus South Carolina on SEC Network+, and Sunday at 2 p.m. CT against Arkansas on SEC Network.

To support LSU volleyball student-athletes through Bayou Traditions, click here, or to contribute to the Volleyball Excellence Fund, click here. 

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