Kentucky women’s volleyball bumps up to No. 3 in week 2 Division I poll: AVCA
Asia Thigpen had nine kills in the Wildcats matchup against Penn State. Photo: Makenna Cameron
Kentucky, known for its bluegrass music, bourbon, college basketball and horse racing, showed off their female flex this past weekend.
The Wildcats renamed Penn State’s ‘Happy Valley’ to ‘Battle Valley’ over the weekend. And, with that, they swept the 2024 NCAA Division I title holders 3-0 on their court.
No. 4 Kentucky were among the three squads that participated in the Penn State Invitational. Kentucky, earning the crowned jewel of the event, swept both No. 5 Penn State, and unranked New Hampshire.
Kentucky beat Penn State 25-21, 25-16, and 25-23 in three sets. And, Kentucky trounced New Hampshire 25-14, 25-12, and 25-5.
And, now, the Wildcats are ranked No. 3 in the week two American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
Kyle Luongo, Kentucky associate head coach, said after their win against New Hampshire on Saturday that the Wildcats coaching staff tell their players that “every match matters” and that “every match is an opportunity for the team to get better.”
At the end of the 2024 regular season, Kentucky was ranked No. 3. They were swept 3-0 by No. 1 ranked Pittsburgh in the NCAA Division I Regional Final. They ended the 2024 season 23-8.
The southern Wildcats clash with No. 7 Pitt on Sept. 10. Expect them to walk onto the court with a redemptive spirit.
Here are the results of the AVCA week two poll in reverse order: college, record, and previous rank.
25. North Carolina, 4-0, received votes
24. UCLA, 1-3, 19
23. Missouri, 3-1, 16
22. Utah, 4-1, 21
21. Georgia Tech, 5-1, 23
20. Baylor, 5-1, 20
19. BYU, 6-0, 18
18. Creighton, 3-3, 13
17. Kansas, 3-4, 15
16. Southern California, 5-0, 22
15. TCU, 3-1, 24
14. Purdue, 4-1, 17
13. Minnesota, 5-1, 14
12. Penn State, 3-3, 5
11. Florida, 4-1, 12
10. SMU, 5-0, 11
9. Arizona State, 4-1, 7
8. Texas A&M, 5-0, 10
7. Pittsburgh, 4-2, 9
6. Wisconsin, 3-1, 8
5. Stanford, 3-2, 6
4. Louisville, 4-0, 3
3. Kentucky, 3-1, 4
2. Texas, 4-0, 2
1. Nebraska, 6-0, 1
Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Lily Dorf is a student-intern at Penn State University.