Home court advantage was too much for Kentucky volleyball to overcome in the Elite 8

Kentucky volleyball fell to the number one overall seed, the Pitt Panthers. Pitt swept them after an impressive run in the tournament after becoming the SEC champion. Pitt was relentless and found ways to keep rally after rally alive. The deciding factor was their ability and the home-court advantage Pitt had.

Dan Fisher even turned to the crowd after the match, clapped at them, and waved, thanking them for their effort in the momentum swings. The Pitt crowd was one of the best volleyball crowds; they were loud, dancing, cheering, and willing their team to victory. Pitt continued to find energy from their crowd, and whenever Kentucky would go on a run, the crowd for Pitt would deliver the push they needed to get a new rally.

Kentucky led by as many as six in the second set, but after a good time-out by Fisher, the crowd got to their feet, with music playing and cheering happening. Pitt went on a rally that changed the set and then the match.

Kentucky has a solid foundation built for a future run, and while they were hoping this would be the year they could break into the final four and head toward the national championship, they have a young core of stars. Brooklyn Deleye is only a sophomore, Jordyn Dailey, Brooke Bultema, and Asia Thigpen are freshmen, and star libero Molly Tuozzo is also a sophomore.

They will lose their seniors, Erin Lamb, Megan Wilson, and Emma Grome. Those are some big losses but head coach Craig Skinner has other young players ready to step up next season and continue their SEC dominance as well as a deeper run in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. While they didn't reach their final goal of a national championship, they had a fantastic season and should be proud of their run.