![Kentucky Wildcats head coach Craig Skinner looks on during the third set against the Florida Gators at Exactech Arena at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, November 20, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Ncaa Women S Volleyball Florida Vs Kentucky](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_188,w_2918,h_1641/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/198/01kaz2gzb20n62mdxk61.jpg "Kentucky Wildcats head coach Craig Skinner looks on during the third set against the Florida Gators at Exactech Arena at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, November 20, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Ncaa Women S Volleyball Florida Vs Kentucky")
They said Texas joining the conference changed everything. They said the balance of power had shifted to Austin.
On Tuesday night in Savannah, Kentucky looked across the net, stared down four separate match points, and delivered a simple message: The Queen stays Queen. After winning a 9th straight regular season title, they claimed the first SEC Tournament title that has been up for grabs in 20 years.
In one of the most absurd, heart-stopping matches in program history, the Wildcats pulled off a reverse sweep for the ages, defeating Texas 3-2 (19-25, 26-28, 26-24, 25-22, 15-9) to win the SEC Tournament Championship.
From dead in the water to immortal
Let’s be honest, we were writing the obituary in the third set.
Texas had completely bullied Kentucky for two sets. Their block was stifling, their serve receive was perfect, and the Wildcats looked rattled. When the Longhorns took a commanding lead in the third set, the sweep felt inevitable.
Then came the stand.
Facing four match points in the third set, Kentucky refused to blink. A combination of grit, Texas errors, and pure desperation kept the season alive. They stole the set 26-24, and you could physically feel the air leave the Texas sideline.
The Eva Hudson show in Savannah
When the lights got brightest, Kentucky’s stars played like stars.
Eva Hudson was simply undeniable. She finished with a monster line: 25 kills on .300 hitting, putting the team on her back when the offense was stalling early, and then late in the 5th set with the clinching points.
But she wasn't alone. Brooklyn DeLeye struggled early (11 errors) but found her swing when it mattered most, finishing with 13 kills and a clutch ace.
And how about the defense? Molly Tuozzo was everywhere, racking up 30 digs and keeping plays alive that had no business continuing.
The queen still reigns
This win means more than just a trophy. It confirms a perfect, undefeated run through the SEC in a year where the league got infinitely harder.
Texas brought their national championship pedigree to the conference thinking they would run the table. Instead, they ran into a Kentucky buzzsaw that simply refused to lose. They swept Texas in the regular season, and then reverse sweeped them in the SEC tournament.
With this win, Kentucky has all but locked up a top-4 national seed. The road to the Final Four will likely go through Memorial Coliseum, and after tonight, good luck to anyone who has to come into Lexington and try to take it.
Texas stats
- Torrey Stafford 28 kills (.471)
- Blocks 8.5
Kentucky stats
- Eva Hudson 25 kills (.300)
- Molly Tuozzo 30 digs
- Kassie O'Brien 56 assists
- Blocks 11.0 (Lizzie Carr with 8!)
Hang the banner. The SEC runs through Lexington.