Three Takeaways from the Cats' Blue/White Scrimmage

With the official start of the college volleyball season right around the corner, we're getting closer and closer to the start of the Cats' quest for a second national title. And if Saturday's Blue/White scrimmage was any indication, Kentucky appears to be every bit the title contender we thought they could be. In light of that, let's look at three big takeaways from today's match.

Setter Battle Tightens Up

All offseason long we've discussed the question that's been on everyone's mind: Who's going to be directing Kentucky's offense this season in the absence of Emma Grome? Well, believe it or not, Saturday actually made the answer to that question a lot more difficult. Prior to Saturday, many believed that redshirt sophomore Ava Sarafa would be given the starting nod due to her experience being in the program over the last two seasons. After all, when you're playing a non conference schedule that features each of the teams that made the Final Four last year, it's always nice to have a bit of experience on your side. However, freshman setter Kassie O'Brien shouldn't be counted out of that race just quite yet. While Sarafa's experience and blooming confidence continues to give her the edge at the starting setter role in my opinion, O'Brien looked like a completely different player Saturday compared to the last time we saw her in the Spring.

In the first set of the match against Louisville in April, while O'Brien showed flashes of her talent, she often looked like she was second-guessing herself in her decision-making and appeared to struggle setting the ball at the height and faster tempo that Kentucky's offense requires. That was nowhere to be found today, though, as O'Brien was dishing the ball seamlessly all over the court with confidence. Through four sets of play, there failed to be a missed connection on a single play, - a fact that proved true for both setters, actually - something that is often extremely present with new, inexperienced setters. If O'Brien continues to improve as much as she already has in just three months, don't count out the freshman to get some run as the leader of Kentucky's offense. 

That's not to say that Sarafa had a poor game by any means. In fact, Sarafa also looked incredibly sure of herself in her decision-making and did an excellent job setting the middles on the slide and with some of those faster balls out of the middle. Like I've said before, UK head coach Craig Skinner has an abundance of depth on this team, and that absolutely applies to the setter position as well. 

Eva Hudson has Officially Adjusted

When I talked to Eva Hudson in the spring she mentioned some growing pains in trying to adjust to the speed and timing of Kentucky's faster offense. As a result, we never really saw her unleash on the ball the way that we know she's capable, in large part because she was either too late or too early to the ball to get a good swing on it. She seems to have officially adjusted, as she spent the majority of the match hammering balls to the floor or tooling it high off blockers' hands out of bounds.

It continues to be a blast watching she and Brooklyn DeLeye share the court with one another as opposing defenses try to figure out which hitter the Cats' setter is going to go to. Because both DeLeye and Hudson can be such lethal weapons in the front and the back row, each pin hitter is often finding themselves one-on-one at the net. And that's a matchup that DeLeye and Hudson are rarely going to lose. 

Hannah Benjamin has ARRIVED

Thanks to an ACL injury that sidelined her in the offseason last year before her freshman campaign even started, we haven't gotten to see Hannah Benjamin suit up in the blue and white yet. Until now. And Cats fans are going to LOVE what they see.

Benjamin was a highly-touted pin coming out of high school and it's easy to see why. Her ball control in the back row is excellent, a skill that will almost-assuredly ensure that she finds the court this season. And there appears to be no lingering effects of that ACL injury as she seemed to have no problem jumping and swinging against big, physical blocks. 

As expected, Benjamin also got some run on the right side as Skinner and company continue to determine who will play for the Cats on that side of the floor. I wouldn't be surprised to see Benjamin get some run on that pin and have success, especially seeing as there isn't any college film on her for opposing teams. And with DeLeye and Hudson drawing the defensive attention on the left, Benjamin - or anyone who plays on the right side for that matter - could have some real opportunity to score a lot of points behind the setter. 

Saturday was a fun one. And with the season just weeks away, it appears that this team is primed and ready to make some noise nationally this year. Time to see what these Cats can do.