LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kassie O'Brien's freshman season at Kentucky volleyball was so extraordinary that it will be nearly impossible to replicate, but that's not stopping her from trying.

The setter led the Wildcats to the NCAA championship match, won AVCA National Freshman of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year and AVCA First-Team All-Region honors after recording 1,278 assists—the fifth-highest total at Kentucky during the rally scoring era.

"No, not at all. It was definitely a huge dream come true," O'Brien said of whether she expected such a successful debut. "I think it was just a bunch of hard work that went into it."

Now preparing for her sophomore campaign, O'Brien said she's focused on continuing her upward trajectory. "Last year was amazing, but I think going into this year, just continuing to push every single day will be super important," she said.

The setter spent the offseason refining her game, working on speed, movement and defensive positioning. "I want to be a little bit faster on the court. So, that was something I worked on in the offseason. Then, just doing better on defense," she said.

O'Brien will again have multiple offensive weapons available. Brooklyn DeLeye, Lizzie Carr and Asia Thigpen return, and UK added Notre Dame transfer Morgan Gaerte to bolster the lineup.

Kentucky was ranked No. 3 in the preseason AVCA poll and faces a challenging early schedule, with the season starting against ranked opponents including Wisconsin and Pittsburgh in Milwaukee. The Wildcats will also face Texas A&M, the team that beat them in the national championship, in conference play.

O'Brien said last season's success near the end of the year, particularly the SEC Tournament, prepared the team for such a rigorous schedule. "We played three games back-to-back-to-back. It's a grind. So, I think knowing that and using the preseason and two-a-days, those practices, those prepare you so much for the season," she said.