Kentucky Volleyball claims outright SEC regular-season title after sweep over Arkansas

LEXINGTON, Ky (LEX18) — No. 2 Kentucky closed out a dominant regular season Sunday with a commanding sweep of Arkansas, securing a 3-0 victory on Eva Hudson's Senior Day and locking up its ninth straight Southeastern Conference championship. The Wildcats finished SEC play 15-0, extending the league’s longest title streak among power-conference programs.

Senior outside hitter Eva Hudson once again set the tone, leading all players with 15 kills while hitting .438 with just one error. Hudson, who was recognized pre-match for surpassing 2,000 career kills, added three digs and a block in her final regular-season appearance at Memorial Coliseum.

Kentucky’s balanced attack helped fuel the sweep. Brooklyn DeLeye posted 13 kills and nine digs, while middle blockers Lizzie Carr and Kennedy Washington chipped in seven kills apiece. Washington also came alive defensively in the third set, tallying three blocks as part of an 8.5-point performance.

Freshman setter Kassie O’Brien continued her standout debut season, handing out 35 assists and guiding Kentucky to a .376 hitting percentage. She also led the Wildcats with five blocks and added six digs, strengthening her candidacy for SEC Freshman of the Year.

Defensively, Kentucky held Arkansas to .176 hitting and only 29 kills on the afternoon. Libero Molly Tuozzo paced the back row with 12 digs, while Molly Berezowitz added eight.

After the match, Hudson spoke about the program’s success following Sunday’s victory.

“It’s such a legacy to live up to and I’m just proud of these girls for gritting it out,” Hudson said. “The pressure is such an honor, so we’re just really happy to be here.”

Kentucky enters the postseason at 22-2 overall and as the top seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Savannah, Georgia. The Wildcats earned a double bye and will open play Sunday at noon ET on SEC Network against the winner emerging from the No. 8, No. 9 or No. 16 seed side of the bracket.

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