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For the first time ever, the Kentucky Wildcats volleyball team are national champions.
The Cats rallied after losing the first set of Saturday’s national championship match in Omaha, Nebraska, against the Texas Longhorns to win the next three and claim their first national championship in program history.
Not only did the Cats win their program’s first title, but they became the first school in SEC history to win a national championship, giving the SEC at least one national champion in all 21 sports that it sponsors.
The team was led by head coach Craig Skinner who has been at the helm of the program since 2005. He has guided the Cats to 15 straight NCAA Tournament berths and four straight SEC titles and now has won the program’s first national championship in a year he was also named National Coach of the Year.
Senior Madison Lilley, who set 59 assists in Saturday’s championship match, won both National Player of the Year and NCAA Tournament MVP honors this season to guide her team to a crown.
In a season split between the normal fall and spring due to COVID-19, the Cats are considered 2020 National Champions.
With the Cats crowned champions, the Big Blue Nation went berserk on both Twitter and in the streets of Lexington.
— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) April 25, 2021
KENTUCKY HAS WON THE 2020 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!#WeAreUK pic.twitter.com/tWuBIwlloB
WOW!!!!
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 25, 2021
Can’t begin to tell you how how happy I am for this team, the players and the coaching staff. What an accomplishment.
What @UKCoachSkinner has done to build this program: AMAZING. Every season they have gotten better and better, and now: NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! https://t.co/F1cdaaoOVe
LET’S GOOOOO!!!! Congrats @KentuckyVB and @UKCoachSkinner!!!! What a season and what an accomplishment!!! #WeAreUK https://t.co/ZpxOPLRaqH
— Nick Mingione (@Coach_Mingione) April 25, 2021
Congratulations @UKCoachSkinner.
— Rachel Lawson (@UKCoachLawson) April 25, 2021
Incredible performance #Resilient #UKElite https://t.co/bVfhAXEiyr
I am ugly crying oh my god
— Leah Edmond (@leahedmond13) April 25, 2021
WOW!!!!
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 25, 2021
Can’t begin to tell you how how happy I am for this team, the players and the coaching staff. What an accomplishment.
What @UKCoachSkinner has done to build this program: AMAZING. Every season they have gotten better and better, and now: NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! https://t.co/F1cdaaoOVe
Hell freaking yeah. Go Big Blue
— CoachMarrowUK (@vincemarrow) April 25, 2021
On On U of K! Great game @KentuckyVB congrats on your first National Championship!
— Wesley Woodyard (@WoodDro52) April 25, 2021
NATTTYYYYYY!!!!!! @KentuckyVB congrats
— Immanuel Jaylen Quickley (@IQ_GodSon) April 25, 2021
VOLLEYBALL SCHOOL!!! Congrats girls! #BBN
— Kash Daniel (@KashDaniel15) April 25, 2021
Wondered if I’d ever see @KentuckyVB win an #SEC title. And now - @ncaa championship. Incredible
— Big Blue Insider (@bigblueinsider1) April 25, 2021
Couch fire on state. @KentuckySports @heraldleader pic.twitter.com/SaxjBsZOpQ
— Alex Slitz (@AlexSlitzPhoto) April 25, 2021
— Brent Wainscott (@BrentWainscott_) April 25, 2021
Let's go?
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 25, 2021
LET'S GO!#NCAAVB x @KentuckyVB pic.twitter.com/dymO55Aggw
Very happy for coach Skinner and Kentucky for winning the NATIONAL TITLE. What’s a fantastic year. He has been building for many years!!
— Rich Brooks (@UKcoachbrooks) April 25, 2021
The @SEC now has a national championship in all 21 sports that it sponsors. #ItJustMeansMore
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) April 25, 2021
Doors will open at Memorial Colisuem at 2 p.m. ET Sunday for welcome home celebration for NATIONAL CHAMPION UK VOLLEYBALL.
— Vaughts' Views (@vaughtsviews) April 25, 2021
The program will begin upon arrival of the team, which is expected to be ~2:30 p.m. ET pic.twitter.com/Frve24tWQq
Memorial Coliseum erupts in celebration as Kentucky defeats Texas in the NCAA Volleyball Championship. @heraldleader @KentuckySports @Johnclayiv pic.twitter.com/sccwC5Qcvl
— Alex Slitz (@AlexSlitzPhoto) April 25, 2021
RECAP - Kentucky Wins 2020 NCAA Volleyball National Championship
— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) April 25, 2021
✅ Match Story
✅ Highlights
✅ Interviews
✅ Buy champ merchandise
✅ Box Score#WeAreUK https://t.co/80B1ChOqCQ
Portraits of Champions!#NCAAVB x @KentuckyVB pic.twitter.com/EIxAtORwuG
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 25, 2021
C-A-T-S = C-H-A-M-P-S!!! pic.twitter.com/AkYl8KEjyV
— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) April 25, 2021
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