This may be a bit controversial, but it's worth saying that the best two volleyball teams in the Final Four are Kentucky and Wisconsin. They are well-rounded, have multiple ways to attack a defense, and feature multiple All-Americans on both squads. The winner of the match between the two will probably end up being the favorite to win it all. Wisconsin's Kelly Sheffield has high praise for Kentucky.
In the pre-match press conference, he spoke a lot about his friendship that dates back decades with Craig Skinner. He also previewed what Kentucky brings to the table and how dangerous they are.
"I mean, just go and look at the All-American listings that just came out, and their players are peppered all over it. They’ve got two big-time players that, when you have a player that can carry a team in non-perfect situations, it just relieves so much. And they’ve got two of them."Kelly Sheffield
Brooklyn Deleye and Eva Hudson are two of the best players in the country and they both play for Kentucky
The players he's talking about are Brooklyn Deleye and Eva Hudson. They are elite, elite volleyball players. Hudson is one of the finalists for AVCA National Player of the Year. Brooklyn Deleye could have also been on that list. Deleye, similar to Colyer, can make kills from any part of the court.
Hudson, who came from Purdue, will get her fair share of kills too, but is also stout at defense. "Hudson has gotten a lot better than what she was last year." Sheffield said, "I mean, she was a big-time player last year, but she’s elevated her game at a totally different level."
He also said the middle blocker, Lizzie Carr, is another player they need to watch for. While she is getting less acclaim than the other two, Sheffield notes that in the last month, she's been one of the best. She's "taken her game to a totally different level over the past month."
Ultimately, he notes that what is dangerous about Kentucky is that they are growing and getting better without losing, "That's hard to do. They haven't lost in forever, and they continue to get better, which means there’s a motivation thing that’s happening right there. They don’t need that loss. They’re tapping into something else. And that’s coaching, and that’s leadership out on the court.”
The match between Wisconsin and Kentucky will be thrilling and will be a chess match between two of the best-coached teams. Don't miss it, the game starts at 8:00 P.M. CT tonight on ESPN.