DeLeye’s 22 Kills Not Enough as Cats’ Season ends in Pittsburgh

Despite 22 kills off the arm of sophomore Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky’s offense couldn’t overcome top-seeded Pittsburgh, as the Panthers downed the Cats in straight sets (22-25, 23-25, 17-25) Saturday night in Pittsburgh to end Kentucky’s season in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

DeLeye had been the focal point of Kentucky’s offense all season long as opposing defenses struggled to slow the sophomore down on the outside. That trend continued against the Panthers, as DeLeye found the floor with a match-high 22 terminations on an impressive .325 slugging percentage. She also added a service ace and a pair of digs in the losing effort and was the only Wildcat to eclipse double figures in the match.

Outside of DeLeye, the Cats’ offense struggled with consistency as no other player managed to total more than seven kills. In her final match in a Kentucky uniform, senior Megan Wilson picked up seven kills, Brooke Bultema had six, Erin Lamb had four, and Jordyn Dailey finished with three.

Senior setter Emma Grome continued to add to her total as Kentucky’s all-time assist leader as she dished out a match-high 37 assists. She also added five digs and a trio of blocks.

Defensively the Cats were led by senior Eleanor Beavin, who picked up a match-high 11 digs. Molly Tuozzo added seven digs of her own and Wilson and Grome each had five.

With the loss, Kentucky concludes the season with a 23-8 overall record as six seniors- Emma Grome, Eleanor Beavin, Megan Wilson, Lane Jenkins, Delaney Hogan, and Erin Lamb- finish their careers at Kentucky as one of the most successful classes in school history. The trio of Eleanor Beavin, Emma Grome, and Erin Lamb- who each spent all four years of eligibility with the Cats- were a part of four-straight SEC Championships, 91 wins, three-straight Sweet Sixteen appearances, and the program’s first trip to the Elite Eight since the Cats won the 2020 National Championship.