Samantha Wunsch led the Commodores with 16 kills
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt volleyball fell against No. 3 Kentucky in four sets (21-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-21) on Wednesday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
The Commodores (9-1) offense totaled 54 kills on a .273 hitting percentage. Samantha Wunsch led the way with 16 kills on a .222 clip, followed by Reese Animashaun with 13 kills (.281). Rachel Ogunleye hit .500 on seven kills, and Maddy Bowser was nearly flawless off the bench, going 8-for-9 with no errors for an .889 hitting percentage. Maya Witherspoon and Rachel Ogunleye split setting duties, combining for four assists.
On the defensive end, the Dores tallied 42 digs and 2.0 total blocks. Hailee Mack paced the defense with 13 digs, while Witherspoon added eight digs and Wunsch chipped in seven.
The Vanderbilt front line dominated the first set with finesse over pure power, sparking an early rally at 9-4. The Commodores lost the lead but soon caught fire at 15-12. The teams traded blows until coach Anders Nelson successfully challenged an unlawful pancake, allowing the Dores to maintain the lead and ultimately win the set on a Wildcat short serve, 25-21.
Wunsch knocked back-to-back kills to tie Kentucky at 3-3 to begin the second set. The Wildcats gained an eight-point run that made the score 16-8. Vanderbilt's consistent return game fueled a four-point run to cut the deficit to 17-12. Kentucky maintained the lead and went on to win the set, 25-17.
Defensively, the Wildcats blocked four Commodore attacks to build an 11-6 lead midway through the third set. The Dore duo of Animashaun and Bowser helped Vanderbilt pull within 16-13. Kentucky's front line held Vanderbilt to 19 points en route to a 25-19 win.
The Commodore transition game kept the match close early in the fourth set, with Vanderbilt trailing 8-7. The tug-of-war continued as Animashaun's kill tied the score at 15-15. A Wildcat kill ended the match with a 25-21 set win.
The Commodores will begin their SEC road stint at Missouri on Sunday.
