# No. 4 Kentucky volleyball rallies past No. 3 Louisville in top-five matchup **Published:** 2026-09-20T23:31:16.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/20/mental-fortitude-helps-cats-top-cards-on-sunday/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/no-4-kentucky-volleyball-rallies-past-no-3-louisville-in-top-five-matchup LEXINGTON, Ky. — No. 4 Kentucky's volleyball team overcame a sluggish opening set to defeat third-ranked Louisville 3-1 in a top-five showdown Sunday at [Historic Memorial Coliseum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Coliseum_(University_of_Kentucky)), according to [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/20/mental-fortitude-helps-cats-top-cards-on-sunday/). The Wildcats started poorly, committing 10 hitting errors and hitting just .079 in the opening set, which Louisville won 25-19. But Kentucky regrouped significantly in the final three sets, posting a .336 hitting percentage to secure the victory over the Cardinals, another Final Four contender. Senior Brooklyn DeLeye led all players with 22 kills as the Cats' offensive weapons found their rhythm after the first set. UK head coach Craig Skinner emphasized his team's response to the slow start. "I'm just really proud of the mental fortitude of our team after the first set," Skinner said. "I think our team did a really good job of staying in the moment as the match went on, especially after the first set." Skinner said the team made minimal tactical adjustments, attributing the turnaround to improved execution rather than strategic changes. "We didn't make a ton of adjustments. We had a good game plan going in," he said. "We made too many hitting errors in the first set. It just came down to execution and finishing things." DeLeye noted the importance of maintaining aggressive play despite the first-set setback. "Everybody knows the first set was bad, but I think the team did a good job of just not letting up," DeLeye said. "Against a top three team in the country, they'll put pressure on you if you just take a little bit off." Skinner credited setter Kassie O'Brien and his offensive players, particularly Asia Thigpen and DeLeye, for stepping up in crucial moments. "Against great teams, you need your best players to step up and they did that today," Skinner said. ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/20/mental-fortitude-helps-cats-top-cards-on-sunday/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/09/20/mental-fortitude-helps-cats-top-cards-on-sunday/.