‘Can’t beat them unless you play them.’ UK volleyball learning as it loses in rough start.

Kentucky women’s volleyball has reached the highest highs of the sport. Several SEC championships, as well as the 2020 national championship, have positioned the Wildcats as a power both in its conference and beyond.

And, though it wasn’t a surprise when head coach Craig Skinner scheduled more than a few difficult matchups to open this season, the results haven’t been what many may have predicted for a roster ranked No. 10 in the AVCA preseason rankings.

Currently ranked No. 21 in the country, the Wildcats (2-5) suffered a difficult loss on the road against Colorado State in the season opener. Though UK has earned victories against Northern Colorado and No. 22 Houston, the Wildcats have fallen to No. 8 Pittsburgh (twice), No. 17 Purdue and, on Wednesday night in front of a record 12,780 fans at the KFC Yum! Center and a national TV audience on ESPN, No. 2 Louisville. UK will have its final opportunity to knock off a ranked, non-conference opponent on Sunday when it tackles No. 4 Nebraska in Lincoln — another program where fan interest is rabid.

The Cornhuskers played a home match earlier this season outdoors in the school’s football stadium, attracting 92,003 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world. In its other five home games this season, Nebraska (8-0) has averaged 8,515 fans per game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, where Sunday’s match vs. Kentucky will be played.

“These are the best teams in the country,” Skinner said. “And to be able to play against those and understand how we respond, and then how to execute against the best teams, you can’t create that in practice. And so for us to get these opportunities, most teams aren’t. For us to be able to execute the way we want to, when we want to, it’s really important to play against them. So that’s why we do this, and you can’t beat them unless you play them.”

Against Louisville, the 2022 national runner-up, UK struggled to capitalize on opportunities to finish in the 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-18) loss. The Cardinals also won the attacking battle, delivering a .344 on the night while the Wildcats attacked at .194.

“We put ourselves in position,” Skinner explained following the match. “And had opportunities to either score or separate ourselves or close out set two, and we’ve got to make big plays at the moment, you know, and to finish the deal and seal opportunities. And Louisville did a better job of that tonight than we did.”

Louisville won its annual match against Kentucky for the third year in a row and shrunk UK’s lead in the all-time series to 31-28.

The dominant play of Reagan Rutherford was a bright spot in the rivalry loss. The senior recorded 16 kills and just two errors and tallied four blocks and two aces.

“I liked Reagan Rutherford taking a whole lot of ownership offensively and getting it done,” Skinner said. “Her setting the block and getting a couple of great stuffs and touches. And we had some great digs, and the next step is creating hittable situations so that we can kill those digs.”

According to Rutherford, hard work in practice with junior setter Emma Grome has led to her high-level success at the net.

“Me and Emma have just been working on our connection,” Rutherford said. “We work on it a lot in practice, and I think it’s finally showing and paying off. And it’s just something you have to keep working at. Hopefully it just keeps getting better and better and she finds me in the back court just like she does in the front row.”

For a Kentucky team with its sights set on righting the ship, Skinner targeted areas for improvement.

“We need to serve a little bit tougher and serve a little (more) aggressive,” Skinner said. “We got some aces, we’ve got to go back there and stick it. We’ve got to attack the edges of the court, not the middle of the court, with our offense. And when we get dig opportunities to convert in transition, those would be three things that definitely need to take a step forward.”

With only Sunday’s match against Nebraska standing between the Wildcats and the start of conference play against LSU at Rupp Arena on Sept. 22, morale remains strong. According to Rutherford, she and her teammates support one another while remembering the bigger picture and pushing each other to improve.

“It’s just the opportunity,” Rutherford said. “Not everybody gets the opportunity to play in a crazy arena like we did tonight. And women’s sports just going so far. It’s just so much more than winning and losing, and we’re just there for each other and leaning on each other. And we just keep wanting to get better and win against Nebraska.”

Next match

No. 21 Kentucky at No. 4 Nebraska

When: 7:30 p.m. EDT Sunday

TV: Big Ten Network