The No. 3 Kentucky Volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday, falling to No. 4 Pittsburgh 3-1 (25-14, 21-25, 25-13, 25-21) at the AVCA First Serve event in Milwaukee. The Wildcats entered the match undefeated after claiming a dominant 3-0 sweep over No. 6 Wisconsin on Friday.

Morgan Gaerte led Kentucky with 14 kills, while Brooklyn DeLeye added 13 kills and three service aces. Kassie O'Brien orchestrated the offense with 38 assists, and Molly Tuozzo tallied a team-high 16 digs. The Wildcats struggled in the opening set, hitting .022 for the frame—their first negatively-hitting set in over four years—as Pittsburgh dominated with a .348 hitting percentage led by Olivia Babcock's six kills. Kentucky responded in the second set, with DeLeye delivering three straight aces late to secure a 25-21 victory and tie the match. However, Pittsburgh recovered to control the third set with a .500 hitting percentage and a 6-0 scoring run, and held off Kentucky's rally in the fourth to clinch the match.

The loss drops Kentucky to 1-1 heading into the Bluegrass Battle at Historic Memorial Coliseum. The Wildcats will open their home season on August 28 against South Florida at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a Saturday matchup against Utah State at 6 p.m. ET. The 2025 NCAA runner-up banner will be unveiled prior to the South Florida game. Tickets are available at UKathletics.com/tickets.