The complete Kentucky volleyball schedule has arrived and, as per usual, it's a gauntlet. The Wildcats will play all four teams from last year's Final Four before beginning their in-conference quest for a 9th-straight SEC title.
Kentucky will unofficially open the season with an exhibition home match against Ohio State on Saturday, August 23. The preseason tune-up will be free and open to the public.
In its first year as a 16-team league, the SEC is shaking up the volleyball scheduling format this season. PLUS... The SEC Tournament finally makes its return!!!
— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) April 10, 2025
And the Craig Skinner coaching tree grows... More on the year ahead ⤵🏐https://t.co/ppwvZjGVX1
UK's first official test will come the following week, as the Cats will open their regular season in Nashville against the Lipscomb Bisons on August 3.
Then, the party officially starts in the Music City. The previously-announced "Broadway Block Party" showdown against Nebraska is set for Sunday, August 31 at noon ET inside Bridgestone Arena and on ABC. The Huskers are now led by former Louisville head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly, who accepted the Nebraska job this off-season.
Week two of the season will send UK to the home of the 2024 national champions, Penn State. The Wildcats will play PSU in State College on Sept. 5, followed by a match against New Hampshire on Sept. 6.
In the third week of the non-conference schedule, UK will make the trip to Ft. Worth, Texas to face off against the Pitt Panthers in the Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net ACC/SEC Challenge. The double-header (which also features Texas vs. Louisville) is set for September 10 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Is it August yet??🏐🏆
— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) May 27, 2025
📆 https://t.co/eu8yKAvgR2 pic.twitter.com/pvnD8VALcM
The Wildcats will play their first home match on September 13 as part of a tournament with two other nationally-seeded teams from 2024, as well as the Houston Cougars. UK will host to SMU on Saturday and then face Houston at home on September 14.
The final week of non-conference action sees Kentucky play at Louisville, marking UK’s fourth 2024 final four opponent in four weeks, on Sept. 18 at the KFC Yum! Center.
The Cats will close out the week back at home, where they will host Washington on Saturday, September 20.
Then, it's time for conference play.
The format for the 2025 season is a single round robin with all teams playing 15 games, followed by a conference tournament championship held for the first time in more than a decade. With Vanderbilt joining the league in volleyball this season, there are 16 teams competing with each team playing either seven home games and eight away games or vice versa.
For a more in-depth preview of Kentucky's SEC schedule, click here.
The league's post-season tournament is making its return this year for the first time since 2005.
This year's SEC Tournament, as well as the next two, will be played in Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.
The Wildcats return multiple contributors from last year's Elite Eight team, including reigning SEC Player of the Year, outside hitter Brooklyn Deleye, an All-SEC Second-Team member, libero Molly Tuozzo, and an AVCA All-South Region Team Honorable Mention, middle blocker Brooke Bultema.
Coach Skinner signed three additions out of the transfer portal this off-season. Outside hitter Eva Hudson, who led the Big Ten in kills last season, and middle blocker Lizzie Carr, who is the younger sister of former Kentucky basketball player, Andrew Carr, both signed with the Cats out of Purdue.
Libero/defensive specialist Molly Berezowitz joins the program after two seasons with Marquette. The rising junior is the younger sister of Maddie Berezowitz, who played at Kentucky from 2019-2022 and was a part of the 2020 NCAA National Championship winning team.
Kentucky also added three freshmen to its roster this season - Trinity Ward (DS/libero), Kassie O'Brien (setter) and Georgia Watson (outside hitter) - as well as two new members of the coaching staff: Kyle Luongo (associate head coach) and Amaya Tillman (assistant coach).
Kentucky Volleyball 2025 Non-Conference Schedule
8.23 – OHIO STATE (exhibition)
8.30 – at Lipscomb
8.31 – vs. Nebraska, Noon ET, ABC (Nashville, Tenn.)
9.5 – at Penn State
9.6 – vs. New Hampshire (State College, Pa.)
9.10 – vs. Pittsburgh, 6:30pm ET, ESPN (Ft. Worth, Texas)
9.13 – SMU
9.14 – HOUSTON
9.18 – at Louisville
9.20 – WASHINGTON
Kentucky Volleyball 2025 Conference Schedule
Sept. 24 – vs. South Carolina
Sept. 26 – vs. Georgia
Oct. 3 – at Ole Miss
Oct. 8 – at Texas A&M
Oct. 12 – at LSU
Oct. 15 – vs. Auburn
Oct. 19 – vs. Florida
Oct. 24 – at Mississippi St.
Oct. 26 – at Alabama
Oct. 31 – vs. Vanderbilt
Nov. 2 – at Texas
Nov. 7 – at Missouri
Nov. 9 – vs. Tennessee
Nov. 14 – vs. Oklahoma
Nov. 16 – vs. Arkansas
Nov. 21-25 – SEC Tournament (Savannah, Ga.)
For more on Kentucky volleyball and all of the Cats, join us weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on BBN Tonight.
