‘You just feel loved out there.’ UK volleyball opens renovated Memorial Coliseum with win.

Point Kentucky. “Wildcats!”

More than 3,500 fans came out to pack Memorial Coliseum and support ninth-ranked Kentucky volleyball (1-1) in its home-opening sweep (25-13, 25-9, 25-13) of Northern Kentucky on Friday night.

The Wildcats, days removed from a disappointing 3-1 loss to No. 2 Nebraska on Tuesday, bounced back quickly, and gave Big Blue Nation quite the show in the team’s first match of the Bluegrass Battle tournament. UK head coach Craig Skinner called the feeling of playing in the newly remodeled venue “way different.”

“Wow, what a very cool night to reopen Memorial,” Skinner said. “Just couldn’t be more thankful. I know I’ve said this a million times but just thankful for the opportunity for our players to play in a venue like this. The way it has been constructed and remodeled. Plenty of ways to honor the past but also look forward to the future. Just a special chance for us tonight.”

Displaced to Rupp Arena for the 2023-24 athletic year alongside UK gymnastics and women’s basketball while the historic venue underwent a significant $82 million renovation, UK volleyball had the opportunity to host Memorial Coliseum’s first “soft opening,” welcoming fans to experience the myriad of changes and upgrades.

Senior setter Emma Grome said that, despite how positive an experience it might have been to call Rupp Arena a temporary home, it doesn’t match up to that of Memorial.

“Rupp was obviously really cool to play in, and we were very grateful to be able to play there,” Grome said. “But the feel in Memorial is just so different, especially with a crowd like tonight. So to have all those fans there and really feel that kind of environment again was super cool.”

Though Skinner said “execution wasn’t the best at times,” the Wildcats made quick work of the Norse. Following Tuesday’s loss to Nebraska, he and his staff asked the players to “be a little bit better in terms of concentration for longer periods of time,” which he thought they did successfully.

“I think there’s some adrenaline,” Skinner said. “And a new building, new environment, all those things happening. First home match.”

The Wildcats opened the first set with a quick 7-2 lead and worked their way out to a comfortable advantage behind the power of sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye. DeLeye, who was named to the 2024 American Volleyball Coaches’ Association First Serve Showcase All-Tournament Team following her performance against the Cornhuskers on Tuesday, appears to be gaining steam as a fan favorite; the Wildcat faithful erupted after each of her six kills in the first set and loved every time the famed Beastie Boys lyric was uttered over the speakers — No! Sleep! Till Brooklyn!

UK dominated the second set from start to finish, totaling 10 digs and two blocks en route to the lopsided 25-9 final. Grome recorded 19 assists during the second set and delivered an impressive .524 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Megan Wilson also shone in the second set, contributing four kills while hitting .444.

Grome called the packed student section, which now feels as though it sits directly behind the action, a major helping hand when looking for momentum.

“It’s huge,” Grome said. ”I mean, just to feel an environment like that, where it feels like all the fans are really engaged and in it and doing the cheers and stuff. That just adds a little bit more motivation to things, and you just feel loved out there, and you want to do well for the fans that came to see you.”

Kentucky continued its show of strength in the third set and secured the sweep despite the Norse’s most competitive effort of the night. NKU forced four ties and a pair of lead changes while facing a UK hitting percentage of just .231 but ultimately the Wildcats maintained control.

DeLeye led the Wildcats with eight kills, while redshirt-freshman outside hitter/opposite hitter Jordyn Dailey and freshman outside hitter Asia Thigpen recorded five kills each. Senior outside hitter Megan Wilson delivered six kills and three block assists and redshirt-freshman middle blocker Brooke Bultema totaled four kills and three block assists. Senior outside hitter Joy Banks and freshman outside hitter Allison Risley led the Norse in kills with four apiece.

With each point scored by the Wildcats, the crowd boomed in celebration — making good on the promise that, if Big Blue Nation came out to support its teams in their remodeled home, the home court advantage would be a tough one to top.

The team’s last match in Memorial had been an exhibition against professional league Athletes Unlimited back in March 2023.

“It was kind of hard to set expectations,” senior libero Eleanor Beavin said. “And the first time that we were actually setting foot onto the court, we were all just like, literally had no words, so I think the expectations were obviously higher, but again, I didn’t really know what to expect because it wasn’t done for so long. But then when they got it all together, it was so cool.”

Fans will have two more opportunities this weekend to support the Wildcats at Memorial Coliseum as part of the Bluegrass Battle, which also features Morehead State and Western Kentucky, the latter of which received votes in the AVCA preseason top 25 poll. UK will face WKU at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in their second matchup of the event. WKU earned a 3-1 victory over Morehead State ahead of UK vs. NKU on Friday.

Skinner said the Bluegrass Battle is a collective effort with NKU, WKU and Morehead State to try to keep growing volleyball’s appeal and profile across the state of Kentucky.

“I think that all coaches kind of want to embrace and grow the game for us,” Skinner said. “... In 2005 there was about 60% of the high schools in Kentucky that had volleyball for girls. Now it’s pretty much 100%. But now the level is, can we be a priority on TV, on national TV, during football season, can there be a demand for tickets? Can there be lines out the door waiting for tickets? You know, that’s the next step for this program and for programs like ours, and so to collectively ask the state programs to be part of this just sends the outreach further. From state line to state line, and we’ve gotta keep working. It’s been a challenge, but it’s getting some bigger waves coming.”