LEXINGTON, Ky. – Freshman setter Kassie O’Brien was named the Southeastern Conference’s overall Player of the Week and SEC Setter of the Week on Monday and outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye was named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced.
O’Brien rewrote the Kentucky record book this week with a 50-assist performance in a three-set match at Alabama, breaking the school record for most assists by a single player in a three-set match. The last time prior to Sunday that UK had a player a three-set match with such numbers was Madison Lilley in 2018 vs. Dayton when Lilley had 48 in a three-set win over Dayton. O’Brien averaged a mammoth 13.71 assists per set in UK’s two matches with 46 and 50 assists Friday and Sunday respectfully and a double-double vs. MSU as she added in 15 digs to go alongside her 46 assists.
Her 50 assists in Sunday’s match set a new career high, one more than her 49 assists against No. 6 SMU back in early September. O’Brien has now dished out 40-plus assists in six-straight matches and her double-double Friday night was the fourth of her young career in a Kentucky uniform.
DeLeye recorded her eighth- and ninth-straight double-figure kill matches on the season this weekend as she averaged 5.29 kills per set with Kentucky beating Mississippi State and Alabama on the road. DeLeye charted her fifth double-double of the year Friday night with a 21 kill and 10 dig performance against Mississippi State as she hit over .300 to lead Kentucky to a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs.
DeLeye followed that up with a team-leading 16-kill performance at Alabama on Sunday as she hit .364 to sweep the Crimson Tide. DeLeye also had a career-high three assists in out-of-system situations Friday night in the Wildcats win at Mississippi State. She has four double-doubles in SEC play this year with two coming in the last three matches.
SEC Volleyball Players of the Week – Week 10
Offensive
Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky
Defensive
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Texas A&M
Setter
Kassie O’Brien, Kentucky
Freshman
Cari Spears, Texas
Kentucky plays host to Vanderbilt on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Maggie Davis and Leah Edmond on the call from Historic Memorial Coliseum. Tickets are available at UKathletics.com/tickets. After Friday’s match, Kentucky will play No. 2 Texas in Austin on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET live on ESPN with Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak and Madison Fitzpatrick on the call from Gregory Gymnasium.
For the latest on UK Volleyball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @KentuckyVB.