Kentucky Volleyball’s Emma Grome named SEC Setter of the Week
After a comfortable 3-1 victory over then-No. 15 Florida on Sunday, No. 11 Kentucky Volleyball is finally finding its stride. The ‘Cats had yet to beat a ranked team throughout 11 matches this season. Eventually, Kentucky discovered the secret: 18-time SEC Setter of the Week, Emma Grome.
Grome, a senior, had yet to be named Setter of the Week this season, but after averaging 10.7 assists per set over two matches, the SEC had no choice but to give her the honors. With 50 assists against Auburn last week and 46 against Florida, she passed former Volley ‘Cat Madison Lilley as the player with the most matches with at least 40 assists. Grome recorded her sixth 40+ assist match this season in the team’s win against Florida.
The Ohio native tabbed a career-high 53 assists in a match against No. 3 Penn State on Sept. 6, but she didn’t slow down. In eight of the nine matches that have followed, Grome recorded 35+ assists in each match, the only exception being a 33-assist performance against James Madison.
Grome is a very highly decorated Wildcat. In four seasons at Kentucky, she earned SEC Setter of the Week eighteen times. On top of that, she added both SEC Setter of the Week and Player of the Week on three separate occasions in 2023. In her sophomore year, Grome led the Power 5 in assists per set (12.5). At the end of her junior season, she was tabbed All-SEC and AVCA All-America.
Even though Grome recorded career games this past week of play, she still shares the honors with Oklahoma setter Payton Chamberlain. Fortunately, Grome has the chance to prove her place on Wednesday. Kentucky takes on unranked Oklahoma in Lexington at 8:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network. The Sooners are coming off a 3-1 victory over No. 20 Tennessee to mark their first SEC win of the season. Despite the victory, Oklahoma didn’t receive votes in the AVCA Week Five Coaches’ Poll.
Don’t count this game as an immediate Wildcat victory, though. The ‘Cats will still have to fight hard to add a second SEC victory to the win column. Thankfully, Kentucky has Emma Grome on its side.
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