LEXINGTON, Ky. — No. 3 Kentucky volleyball dominated UCLA on Wednesday, sweeping the Bruins 25-13, 25-18, 25-23 in the inaugural Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge at Historic Memorial Coliseum.

The Wildcats' victory marked their third consecutive sweep of the season and their fourth win in five matches. Kentucky's dominant performance was highlighted by seven aces and a team hitting percentage of .346, nearly 100 points higher than UCLA's offensive efficiency for the match.

Morgan Gaerte, the Kentucky transfer from Notre Dame, led all players with 16 kills on just 33 swings for a .364 hitting average. Brooklyn DeLeye added 15 kills while Asia Thigpen chipped in 10 terminations from the left side. Setter Kassie O'Brien recorded a season-high 43 assists as Kentucky tallied 51 team kills.

On the defensive end, libero Molly Tuozzo posted a match-high 16 digs as Kentucky held UCLA to a hitting percentage under .250 in all three sets. Tuozzo, a preseason All-SEC selection, just missed recording a double-double.

The win gives the SEC a crucial point in the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week, which runs through Sept. 6. Kentucky will face No. 13 Penn State on Sunday at Wrigley Field in Chicago, marking the first time volleyball has been played at the historic baseball venue.