By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Washburn Rural three-sport star Brooklyn DeLeye, now a volleyball star at Kentucky, has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year after helping lead the Wildcats to the outright conference championship.
[Kentucky Athletics]
A 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter, DeLeye registered 450 kills with a .282 hitting percentage, 155 digs, 31 total blocks and 46 service aces as Kentucky posted a 20-7 regular-season record and went 14-2 in the SEC.
DeLeye became the sixth different Kentucky Wildcat to win SEC Player of the Year as a Kentucky player has now won the award for a seventh time. DeLeye joins Sarah Rumley (2008), Leah Edmond (2018, 2019), Madison Lilley (2020), Alli Stumler (2021) and Emma Grome (2022) as winners of the conference’s top honor. Kentucky has now won the award six of the last seven years.
With its SEC title Kentucky earned the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Pairings will be announced Sunday.
After an outstanding freshman season for Kentucky's volleyball team, including SEC Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-America honorable mention honors, DeLeye helped lead the U.S. Volleyball U21 team to the title in the NORCECA Continental Championship in Toronto, earning MVP and Top Spiker awards.
DeLeye led Washburn Rural to state titles in volleyball and basketball and was also a standout in soccer.
DeLeye was a two-time Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year in volleyball and was named to the All-State first team four straight years. She finished her high school career with 2,090 kills.
DeLeye was a three-time All-Shawnee County pick in basketball, helping Rural win the Class 6A title as a junior and to a second-place finish as a senior.
