The UVA volleyball team (3-5) fell to Kentucky 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-18) on Saturday morning in the Bluegrass Battle at Memorial Coliseum.
Senior Jasmine Burton (West Hills, Calif.) and freshman Kiley Banker (West Lafayette, Ind.) each led UVA with eight kills. Redshirt junior Alex Thorson (Spring, Texas) added six kills.
Freshman Chino Anukwuem (East Hanover, N.J.) led Virginia at the net for the second-straight match with three blocks, while Burton, Banker and Thorson each had two. Freshman Kelsey Miller (Crestwood, Ky.) led the back line with six digs.
Kentucky (4-4) finished with 16.0 team blocks and had 35 kills on a .276 attack percentage. The Cavaliers finished with 28 kills and had three service aces with six blocks as a team.
Virginia had a 5-3 advantage to open the match, but an 8-0 run put Kentucky ahead 11-5. The Cavaliers were unable to get their offense going as the Wildcats remained in control of the set to win 25-12 and take a 1-0 lead.
UVA was on the board quickly in the second set with a 5-1 lead that included four blocks. Anukwuem and Thorson contributed to three of those, with a solo block each, and Burton and Banker combined for one. The Cavaliers were leading 8-5 when the Wildcats tied the set at 8-8 and then went ahead 12-9 on a 3-0 run. Virginia cut the Kentucky lead to one, 18-17, but the Wildcats closed the set on a 7-1 run to win 25-18 and lead 2-0.
The third set was close early as UVA and Kentucky were tied 3-3, until an 8-1 run put the Wildcats up 11-4. Down 15-10, Virginia put together a 5-1 run to cut the lead to one but Kentucky pulled away once again to go up 19-15. Virginia was unable to comeback as the Wildcats closed out the win 25-18.
Virginia will close out the Bluegrass Battle today against Marquette. The teams are set to begin play at 5 p.m.
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