LEXINGTON, Ky. — Vanderbilt volleyball fell 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-21) to third-ranked Kentucky on Friday night at Memorial Coliseum.
Reese Animashaun and Mia Soerensen led the Commodores (5-15, 1-10 SEC) offensively with eight kills each. Isabella Bareford came one dig shy of a double-double with nine digs and 19 assists. Defensively, Elli Kinney contributed 12 digs, while Jackie Moore posted a team-high five blocks. At the service line, Vanderbilt only gave up one error, which is a season low.
For the Wildcats (17-2, 10-0 SEC), Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson led the way with 16 and 14 kills, respectively. Kassie O’Brien dished out 37 assists to help Kentucky hit .354 as a team. Hudson and Molly Tuozzo both registered double-digit digs, with respective totals of 11 and 14. The Wildcats totaled 10 team blocks, led by Lizzie Carr with five and O’Brien with six.
Vandy got off to a slow start, dropping set 1, 25-13. Despite falling 25-16 in the second set, the Commodores went on a late four-point run to hold off the Wildcats’ set point.
The Dores’ momentum continued into set 3, during which Vanderbilt hit .303. Animashaun recorded five of her eight kills during the final set, while recording a .375 hitting efficiency. Vandy and Kentucky kept the score within four until point 20, at which point the Wildcats ultimately pulled away to win the set, 25-21 and the match 3-0.
Vanderbilt volleyball will return to Nashville to host RV Missouri on Sunday at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+. The program will honor its graduating seniors, Bareford, Sydney Conley, Moore and Soerensen at Sunday’s match.
