LEXINGTON, Ky. — There's nothing to ramble about: Kentucky volleyball took care of business against the Loyola University Chicago on Thursday night, sweeping the Ramblers 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-20) inside Memorial Coliseum. With the win, the Wildcats have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams got out to a hot start in the first set but Kentucky put 25 points on the board first, largely thanks to senior outside hitter Adanna Rollins and redshirt junior middle blocker Bella Bell.
Rollins made her presence felt early and often, recording seven kills in the first set alone. By the end of the night, she had 15 kills to her name. Bell had four kills and was hitting .800 after the the opening set.
✅ FIRST SET GOES TO THE CATS
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) December 2, 2022
Kentucky up 1-0 over Loyola-Chicago, after posting a 25-17 score in set 1 pic.twitter.com/Xy8sgOzYOn
Kentucky's offense settled into a rhythm in the second set, at one point going on an 8-1 run over the Ramblers.
The second set is also when junior opposite Reagan Rutherford really came alive, matching Rollins with nine kills each by the time Kentucky's side of the scoreboard reached 25. The Cats didn't let off the gas, finishing the second set with a 25-14 win.
Rutherford finished the game with 11 kills and three blocks.
Second set stats #BBN 👀 https://t.co/YdohLdkaWo pic.twitter.com/4ullT3zuab
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) December 2, 2022
Loyola-Chicago didn't go down without a fight, but Kentucky's athleticism and precision was ultimately too much for the Ramblers to overcome. The Cats won the third set 25-20.
Sophomore setter Emma Grome, who was recently named the SEC Player of the Year, made the Cats go all night with another trademark, steady performance. She finished with 44 assists.
All-SEC middle blocker Azhani Tealer had nine kills against the Ramblers, and sophomore outside hitter Erin Lamb added eight more.
The Cats will play again Friday night at 7 p.m., when they'll take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. WKU swept Bowling Green in the early matchup Thursday evening, 25-20, 25-23, 25-20.
Friday's second round matchup between the Wildcats and the Hilltoppers will also be played inside Memorial Coliseum. Ticket information is available here.
