Kentucky Volleyball - LIVE BREATHE BLUE - The Little Engine That Could

(LEXINGTON, KY) The No. 9-ranked Kentucky volleyball team (5 – 2) won two out of three matches of the Kentucky Invitational this weekend, sweeping James Madison and Ball State after losing a five-set heartbreaker to No. 7-ranked Penn State earlier on Friday.

As much as BBN loves their Wildcats, there’s a hard truth that’s difficult for many to swallow: when it comes to competing in the big-time world of NCAA Volleyball, Kentucky reluctantly feels like the little engine that could—with a heavy emphasis on "could."

Despite their unbridled successes in recent years, including 19 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, the Wildcats—much more frequently than they should—still take on the role of scrappy underdogs when facing traditional powers like Penn State.

How can that be, you ask? Didn’t Kentucky win the National Championship back in 2020? Hasn’t Coach Craig Skinner and crew dominated the SEC with consecutive conference titles dating back to 2017? The answer is a resounding “YES.” They’re definitely inching closer to the big boys’ club. Unfortunately, they’ve yet to fully join.

It’s not for lack of talent or heart—far from it. During Skinner’s tenure, the Cats have amassed 24 All-America first, second, or third team distinctions and 66 All-Southeastern Conference selections. Names like Leah Edmond, Madison Lilley, and Avery Skinner are now forever etched in the vaunted annals of Kentucky Volleyball lore. Current players like Brooklyn DeLeye, Emma Grome, and Eleanor Beavin are ballers in every sense of the word.

Make no mistake, Coach Skinner has built a program that’s earned respect nationwide. But there remains a certain gap that Kentucky hasn’t quite bridged yet. Whether it’s depth, experience, or that elusive X-factor that the perennial powerhouses seem to have in spades, Kentucky often finds itself coming up just short in these marquee matchups. With the exception of the championship season, the road to the Final Four always seems to be littered with premature defeats at the hands of a Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, or Stanford.

Friday night’s loss was a perfect example. The Wildcats had Penn State on the ropes, up two sets to none, with victory seemingly within their grasp. But when the Nittany Lions turned up the pressure, Kentucky struggled to respond—making critical mistakes and eventually losing in five agonizing sets (19-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-22, 15-8). That killer instinct that defines the truly elite teams just wasn’t there when it mattered most.

“We’ve got to do a better job in practice of sustaining concentration and intensity for longer periods of time,” Skinner said immediately after the disappointing loss. “That was evident past the third set and the end of the fourth set. It wasn’t anything physical.”

Nor was it the atmosphere, either. The configuration of the newly revamped historic Memorial Coliseum has the potential for intimidating any and all opponents. The fans that showed up Friday were stoked. It’s just that Kentucky needs more of them.

Don’t get me wrong, interest and attendance in Kentucky Volleyball has grown in the past few years, but the growth hasn’t been commensurate with the team’s radical success. Arguably, the most exciting sport on campus with talented players, non-stop action, and one of the best coaches in America should sell out every single game. It doesn’t. Media coverage is even more spotty, with only a cursory mention if the team does something spectacular—like it nearly did Friday night.

“We knew that Penn State was a good team,” said sophomore libero Molly Tuozzo. “But we also know that we’re a great team. So we go in with the mindset that we can beat anyone if we just put our minds to it.”

Tuozzo is only partially right. Kentucky is a good team—sometimes even a great one. They’re a team that remains consistently in the fight, but they’re not yet quite able to finish the job against the volleyball titans. They are close, no doubt about it. But to truly compete at the elite level, they need to make that final leap from the little engine that could to the roaring locomotive that will.

So, Wildcats fans, keep cheering, keep believing, and—most importantly—keep showing up in droves to encourage the team. Without your support, that little engine will never roll into the station as a true heavyweight in the world of college volleyball.

Dr. John Huang is a retired orthodontist, military veteran, and award-winning author. He currently serves as a columnist for Nolan Group Media. You can follow him on social media @KYHuangs and check out his debut novel—“Name, Image, and Murder”—and all his books at https://www.Amazon.com/stores/Dr.-John-Huang/author/B092RKJBRD