Kentucky Kernel: April 26, 2021

CHAMPIONS kentuckykernel Monday, April 26, 2021

Monday, April 26, 2021

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Candlelight vigil held in remembrance of Terrence Clarke

By Barkley Truax sports@kykernel.com

With heavy hearts, the men’s basketball team gathered outside of their dorm on Friday night to lead a vigil for Terrence Clarke, the former Kentucky men’s basketball player who died early Thursday afternoon in a car crash in Los Angeles.

Basketball players, students and community members attended the candlelight vigil on Friday night, where Clarke’s teammates made speeches and laid jerseys in front of a memorial set up with Clarke’s photo and wreaths.

The outpouring of support from those around the Lexington community, basketball world and beyond was put on display as several hundred supporters came to mourn the loss of the former Wildcat.

As the crowd began to gather around the Wildcat Coal Lodge, candles were handed out and lit as members of the basketball program began to emerge from the Lodge for the ceremony.

“I can’t believe I’m up here right now speaking about Terrence in this way,” Keion Brooks Jr. said. “He was so young and full of life. You never saw him without a smile on his face.”

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Brooks Jr. said the candelight vigil was fitting for Clarke’s personality.

“A lot of times Terrence was the light in my life. A lot of times where I might’ve been feeling down. . . Terrence came around the corner with that huge smile of his,” Brooks Jr. said. “[Clarke’s] probably yelling at me right now because I’m getting all emotional, but that’s how much I really love Terrence,” Brooks Jr. said.

Lance Ware wore his heart on his sleeve at the vigil, crying as he spoke and honored Clarke.

“Terrence was my brother. Everybody loved him. The joy he brought to everybody’s life, in the locker room, on the court. . . It just kills me up here to say that I lost a brother and someone I genuinely cared about,” Ware said.

After Brooks Jr. and Ware spoke, the the team’s pastor said a prayer and led a moment of silence for Clarke.

Davion Mintz took the microphone next, highlighting Clarke’s positive attitude.

“I really want everyone to understand how happy a person like Terrence was,” Mintz said. “All of us on the team last year wondered like why is this dude always happy? It seems like

everything is going wrong for him and he’s just still smiling. Little did we know he was just being happy for his last moments.”

The team headed back into the Lodge following Mintz’s speech. Hardly anyone left after the team went back inside, instead staying to pay their respects. Everyone stood still as all eyes were upon the memorial that was now lit with candles.

After several minutes that seemed like hours, individuals began walking up to the memorial to honor to Clarke. The only sound heard was the shutter of photographers’ cameras.

Some left flowers, others said prayers.

The crowd began to huddle around the memorial after those individuals were finished paying their respects. Members of the basketball team came back out to do the same, as Jacob Toppin placed a blue jersey with Clarke’s number in front of the memorial.

As the players gathered around the memorial, they began to reminisce on the good times each spent with Clarke. Ware was smiling through tears as he said, “love you bro,” while standing next to the memorial with his teammates.

While most of those in attendance never knew Clarke personally, they

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Keion Brooks Jr. shares memories of Terrence Clarke during a candlelight vigil in memory of Clarke on Friday, April 23, 2021, outside of the Wildcat Coal Lodge in Lexington, Kentucky.

shared some of their favorite memories from watching him play.

“My favorite one was when Mintz had that three against Vanderbilt in the corner, and the whole team celebrated it and you just see Terrence smiling ear to ear,” said Vincent Lynch, 20.

Lynch also remembers when Clarke came back and played against Mississippi State during the SEC tournament, showing everyone that he wasn’t giving up on his team.

Valerie Batkin, 47, thought of her children,

around Clarke’s age, when she heard the news. A lifelong UK fan, Batkin said she felt obligated to show up for the Big Blue Nation during this hard time.

“Not being able to go to the games and support them like we’re used to doing, I just felt like the right thing to do to be here and support the guys to show them that we love them,” she said. “My heart just breaks for them to know how sad they are and what they’ve lost.”

As the crowd began to dissipate, Mintz gathered the remaining members of

Big Blue Nation together in prayer. This was the team that Kentucky fans never got to know. With the pandemic, limited fan capacity in Rupp Arena and the losing record, in that moment the fans were closer to this team than ever before.

Though the players are grieving, they also paid tribute to Clarke by honoring his memory moving forward.

“I just wish I can continue to live my life the way he wanted me to live it and be happy,” Brooks Jr. said.

Monday, April 26, 2021

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD THOUSANDS OF VACCINE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

According to an email sent to UK students, the university’s vaccine site at Kroger Field has thousands of appointments available. All Kentuckians can sign up for a vaccine at vaccine.ukhc.org.

The Kroger Field site offers the twodose Pfizer vaccine. UK was offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to students before the CDC recommended use that vaccine be paused.

On Friday, the CDC concluded that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was safe to resume use. UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the university does not have plans to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at this time.

UK encourages everyone eligible to receive the vaccine.

High vaccination rates are seen as a key to achieving herd immunity, particularly as health officials have warned that progress against the pandemic is slowing,” reads the announcement of the vaccine availability.

More than 1.6 million Kentuckians have re-

ceived their first dose of the vaccine. Gov. Andy Beshear will loosen restrictions when 2.5 million Kentuckians are vaccinated.

SPECIAL SENATE MEETING ON SHARED GOVERNANCE

A specal session of the university facult Senate will occur on Monday, April 26 to address faculty concerns over shared governance.

Shared governance is the mode of operation for UK, which says that the faculty are supposed to have input on administrative decisions like the hiring and firing of provosts and deans.

More than 35 faculty members have signed on to a letter expressing concerns over the adminstration’s failure to duly share governance, citing the sudden firing of the College of Arts & Sciences dean and the closed doors search for a graduate school dean as instances of failed governance.

In a response to the letter, UK president Eli Capilouto said such concerns were the jurisdiction of the provost, David Blackwell. Blackwell will leave UK this summer

JACK WEAVER I STAFF Kentucky fans watch the UK vs. Louisville baseball game on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Kentucky. UK lost 12-5.

kentuckykernel

CONTACT Editor-in-chief: Natalie Parks to take a position at another university. The search for his replacement adds an urgency to the faculty’s grievances, they say.

The United Campus Workers chapter at UK also held a meeting on Friday, April 24 to share similar concerns and prepare members for Monday’s special session. Gradute students in particular expressed their worries over the fate of their college.

The Monday special session will be open to items from the floor. Faculty senators expect more concrete resolutions and motions to be introduced.

SOFTBALL DROPS SUNDAY SERIES AGAINST LSU

On Sunday afternoon, No. 14 Kentucky continued a trending theme, dropping the series vs another SEC foe in No. 15 LSU. Kentucky only needed one win to clinch the series after the series opening win on Friday, 7-5.

With only six games remaining on the regular season schedule now, Kentucky sits with a record of 32-12 overall, and only 7-11 in SEC play.

The second game of the series and the first of the day was an offensive showcase from both sides as there would be a total of 17 runs between the two.

After cutting the lead to one, the Tigers got back to business, stretching out the lead back to three runs, where Kentucky would answer with yet another single run inning in the bottom of the third.

After a quiet fourth, things started up again as LSU would put up another five runs over the next two innings, compared to Kentucky’s lone one in the bottom of the fifth.

In their last chance of the game, Kentucky would be able to put up three runs thanks to some RBI’s from junior Tatum Spangler and senior Lauren Johnson, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Cats fell 7-10.

LSU would go on to put on a blistering offensive showcase, mounting up a total of 10 runs on eight hits in the second and third innings alone.

LSU would go on to close things out, winning with a final score of 10-4 and clinching the series over the Cats.

editor@kykernel.com Managing editor: Michael Clubb editor@kykernel.com Asst. news editor: Hannah Stanley Brooklyn Kelley Sports editor: Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com Asst. sports editor: Eric Decker Opinions editor: S arah Michels opinions@kykernel.com Asst. Opinions editor: Gillian Stawiszynski

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ON THE COVER MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats libero Gabby Curry (12) makes confetti angels after the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA women’s volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. UK won 3-1.

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MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK celebrates the game winning point after the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA womenís volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. UK won 3-1.

Kentucky volleyball wins first national championship over Texas

By Natalie Parks

editor@kykernel.com

Swing high. Impose your will. Trust the team. Lean in.

These are some of the phrases head coach Craig Skinner told the Kentucky volleyball team throughout the NCAA Tournament, where UK was the no. 2 seed.

Kentucky volleyball made history Saturday night, claiming their first national title against no. 4 Texas.

UK beat the Longhorns in four sets, dropping the first 25-20 and never looking

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back. Though the third set was back and forth and Kentucky trailed for much of the fourth, UK won three in a row 25-18, 2523 and 25-22 to take home the title.

“I just felt like we stayed the course and we talked before the match, we don’t know how it’s gonna start, but I know one thing you’re gonna fight to the bitter end,” head coach Craig Skinner said in a post-game press conference.

The end, of course, was not bitter, and Skinner said it validated what the program has been talking about for years.

Kentucky was anchored by senior Mad-

ison Lilley and freshman Madi Skinner in crucial points, but Texas cost themselves opportunities with unforced errors like a net serve at the close of the third set that kept them from tying up the score. Lilley had one of the most pivotal plays in the match – a solo block in the third set.

“Talk about momentum changing plays - and she’s an elite competitor and she’s worked on blocking a ton, over the last couple years..and it’s paid off,” Skinner said. “…she saw it on her set and she dove in and made a perfect move and it was a special play.”

Hustle and effort is what got Kentucky to the title.

As they neared the end of the match, UK cut down on unforced errors and made the extra lunge or dive to keep plays alive.

“Obviously we have to score points, but we had to frustrate Texas when we kept balls off the floor like we did,” Skinner said. “...offense wins, defense keeps you in it and it gives you a chance at the end.”

Kentucky held Texas to a .333 hitting percentage, while Alli Stumler surpassed her previous season high in kills with 26.

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Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott congratulated head coach Craig Skinner and the Kentucky team in his post-game press conference.

“They played phenomenal tonight. And we just could not get them out of system.

We could not get any kind of point runs, and they were just so efficient, no matter how hard we were serving,” Elliott said.

He pointed to his team’s passing as an area they struggled in keeping up with Kentucky.

According to Skinner, one of Kentucky’s advantages is how deep their skill runs. He said in the post-game press conference that people underestimated their depth all season.

“A lot of people that can play the whole game. I just don’t know what our weaknesses - I don’t think we have a weak-

ness,” Skinner said. “And you know it’s hard for me to spout that off before you season’s over, but if someone wants to tell me a weakness I’d love to hear it.”

The national title is the crown jewel of what was already a historic season for Kentucky, as they claimed their fourth SEC championship in a row and advanced to the Final Four for the first time.

Stumler said the team’s word for the year was legacy, which they certainly have left.

“It just doesn’t feel real yet that we just, we’re the number one team in the country right now, you know? We’re the national champions,” Stumler said.

But the title game is something they worked towards all year long.

“We’ve been training for this since August so it’s been a long time coming, so we’re just really excited to be here excited to get the ball rolling,” Madison Lilley said in a press conference early in the tournament. Lilley recorded 53 assists, 19 digs and three blocks in the title game. Elliott said she may be the best setter he’s seen in

college volleyball.

Madi Skinner also made a big impact in the title game, especially for a freshman, racketing up 19 kills. She and Stumler had two kills to open the second set, with Kentucky coming off the loss in the first.

“Their offense did turn it up...there’s a reason that the best offensive team in the country,” Elliott said.

In the second set Kentucky took more time to have libero Gabby Curry set up plays and became more aggressive with the placement of their kills.

Curry recorded 13 assists and 14 digs in the title game. She took some deep hits in the fourth set that proved crucial in Kentucky regaining the lead, but her play of the night was a one-armed dive in the third set that saved the point for Kentucky and broke them out of a tie at 7-7.

“Nothing fazes Gabby Curry, not this moment, not any moment. Never has, and she was ready,” Skinner said.

The final point of the game came from Alli Stumler, who led the team in kills throughout the tournament. When the ball

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hit the floor, Stumler turned away from the net and rushed into a dog pile with her teammates.

“All the other players who were on the bench, who give tirelessly to make us better those six who are on the court better every single day, so I think that’s the best part is just celebrating,” Stumler said.

After the tropy ceremony, the team also turned to face the section of the stadium filled with representatives from the Big Blue Nation and cut down portions of the net as mementos.

Kentucky’s first national title is also the first won by a team from the SEC. Skinner had previously won a title while on the coaching staff at Nebraska and part of the reason he came to Kentucky was to build a title-winning team.

Three Kentucky players - Madison Lilley, Avery Skinner and Alli Stumler - were named to the all-tournament team. Lilley was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2020 NCAA volleyball championship, in addition to her SEC and AVCA Player of the Year honors.

Fans react to volleyball title

By Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

Following Kentucky volleyball’s first national championship, UK fans new and old reacted with enthusiasm and joy. Many said the win was one of few causes for celebration in such a challenging year.

“BBN needed that win in the worst way. Thank[s] you Kentucky Volleyball and Coach Skinner,” said UK fan Bradley McKee on Twitter, where many posted their praise and well wishes.

Men’s basketball coach John Calipari also congratulated the team.

“Can’t begin to tell you how how happy I am for this team, the players and the coaching staff. What an accomplishment.

What [head coach Craig Skinner] has done to build this program: AMAZING. Every season they have gotten better and better,” Calipari wrote. Prior to Skinner’s arrival at UK, Kentucky had not been to the NCAA tournament in around 12 years. In the fif-

teen years since they have not missed a tournament.

“I was very excited to see UK gather around a sport that doesn’t get much attention these days, and I thought it was a very exciting time for the university,” freshmen Wesley Farhett said.

“It is very exciting, especially because I knew that’s the only sport SEC hasn’t won a national championship and so I was very excited,” said freshman Collin Graves.

“As a player, I’m so happy it got recognition because I feel like people like didn’t know about it at first.”

Many tweets proclaimed that Kentucky is now a “volleyball school,” a thought echoed by the players.

“Volleyball has grown so much since then and Kentucky is now on the map. I am so full of joy,” one former club volleyball player said on Twitter.

Others pointed out ways the team made history, like UK sports information direc-

tor Tony Neely saying this is the first time two UK Athletics teams have won national championships in the same year (volleyball and rifle).

Corey Price noted that setter Madison Lilley is only the third UK athlete, after men’s basketball player Anthony Davis and rifle athlete, “to both be named National Player of the Year and be a part of an NCAA Division I national championship team in the same season .”

Lexington mayor Linda Gorton tweeted her congratulations and also declared two days last week to be special holidays in Lexington in honor of the team. Both Thursday and Saturday, the days of the Final Four and title matches, were declared as volleyball “blue and white’ days.

“So happy that the world is now seeing what we always knew about this program,” tweeted former UK volleyball star Lead Edmond.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also

tweeted his congratulations.

This incredible team made history last night, bringing home the first title for the [University of Kentucky]. You make Kentucky proud!” Beshear said.

Students celebrated on State Street, which some were concerned about because of COVID-19. But Graves was just happy to have some recognition for the sport.

“Maybe [State Street] went a little too far, but I’m happy to get excited. We’re celebrating it like we should, I feel like we should have done more, the school shut down more, Graves said.

“You can’t really control what’s going on with you’re really excited for a team to do so well,” freshman Ella Zombolo said.

Overall, fans were excited to have something to celebrate, joining in on the watch party and welcome home bash.

“Welcome to the bandwagon,” Madison Lilley said.

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Historic season a product of confidence

By Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

From the beginning, Alli Stumler knew her team would win the national championship. Not could, or should - would.

“I think the moment we stepped in Omaha and off the plane, it was, ‘we’re gonna win this thing,’ and there was never a doubt that any team was better than us, that could play harder than us, have more grit, determination, we just knew that we had it.”

Stumler, an outsider hitter and junior, said.

On Saturday morning, before Kentucky took the court in CHI Health Center to play for the title, Stumler asked head coach Craig Skinner if he was ready to ‘win a natty.’ He said ‘oh yeah.’

That kind of confidence - cool, but not cocky; shared as a matter of fact, but not arrogantly - defined Kentucky’s approach to the NCAA Tournament. Had UK lost the title, all that talk would have soured in the aftermath. But they won, just as they set out to do.

“We wanted to be legendary,” libero Gabby Curry said at a celebration back in Lexington on Sunday. This national title cements that status, as it represents several program and conference firsts. On the way to the top, the team kept their composure by knowing their worth.

In press conferences throughout the NCAA

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MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK celebrates the game winning point after the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA womenís volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. UK won 3-1.

Tournament, the volleyball players heaped praise on each other.

“Gabby is one of the most fierce competitors that I know, and being able to see the fire in her eyes in the fight and drive this tournament especially has been so cool just because I’ve played with her it was seems like every level at this point,” setter Madison Lilley said of the team’s libero, Gabby Curry.

Madi Skinner, a freshman, was able to watch her older sister Avery Skinner dominate in the early matches, which made the

tournament experience even more special.

“I’m her biggest fan.

I want her to succeed in every aspect of life so just seeing her go off on the court was so exciting and it made me so proud, and it was just really exciting to kind of have her shine in that moment,” Madi Skinner said.

Beyond the stats and scores, volleyball players said the work ethic and atttidue is what drives the team to its heights.

“They’re not focused on themselves or focused on how they’re playing,

but just how can we make the program better,” Stumler said of her teammates.

“Snd you can’t teach that it’s just whether you have it or you don’t, so they’re pretty fiery fun bunch to be around and super fun.”

Head coach Craig Skinner also pointed to the team’s inspiration being a connection between the players.

“It’s not about volleyball, it’s about people, and y I think that’s really important for us to make sure we understand and recruiting because if you don’t have good people on this year

like this - good luck… we wouldn’t be here today if we didn’t have the type of people to make the chemistry,” Skinner said.

Chemistry and veteran leadership helped the team keep their cool under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament.

“When your senior setter steps on the court and serves an ace the first point of the match, it sends a pretty strong message to their teammates,” Skinner said following the regional round against Western Kentucky University.

That senior setter is

Madison Lilley, who has been on the track to a national championship with Kentucky since attending her first camp with Skinner in the seventh grade.

“If you want to call it manifestation, you can call it that, if you want to call it drive and not taking no for an answer, that’s what I like to call it,” Lilley said. “But just the grind the hours, the work ethic, the vision and the motivation to just get where we are right now is something that should not be overlooked.”

Some of that drive and vision is to do more than just take home the trophy throughout the tournament, the team also spoke on raising the profile of women’s volleyball.

“To get people to jump on the Kentucky volleyball bandwagon, I mean, that’s hard work, and no one will ever be able to tell this group any differently and this is exactly what Kentucky volleyball stands for,” Lilley said.

Skinner in particular was vocal about how volleyball, even as one of the most popular sports among young girls, is not given the same attention or time on national networks as other sports.

“I truly believe we can generate revenue and and I just hope our fans buy into this program. I hope fans buy into Texas this program.

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I hope fans buy into every program that we play against because it’s the sport is about ready to combust in the stratosphere,” Skinner said.

The Big Blue Nation bought in, with fans tuning in to the national tournament, some for the first time. The love and support made the experience ‘surreal,’ players said.

“It’s such a blessing to be in that position, it can be seen as annoying or whatever, but I just see it as a huge blessing and it’s awesome, just to have such an awesome fan base and people behind us who are just pumped for us and rooting us on from back home,” Stumler said.

Though fans and the country might have only caught on to the volleyball team’s wave at the end of the tournament, the championship is what the players were aiming for all along.

“We’ve been telling ourselves, ‘when we get to the Final Four,’ ‘when we get to the championship match,’ so it’s something we’ve been talking about from day one. And so it just reads confidence and we each have confidence in each other, which just allows us to do our job and just to play our heart out,” Madi Skinner said.

Day one was a long, long time ago. Because of COVID-19, the volleyball season was split into fall and spring halves. But the two combined were more

than double the usual play, which was physically and mentally tough.

But the long season also helped the team improve upon their play from the fall.

“I think it prepared us for moments like this, and just the relationships like I said, the relationships and the trust and being able to work through certain things, I don’t think we would have been able to do if we would have started this in January,” Lilley said.

“To have kind of two separate seasons, gave us the time to reflect and see

where we were and evaluate and find new things,” Skinner said, particularly incorporating the new players into the line-up.

Kentucky was dominant all season, losing only to Florida in a back-to-back match. Losing to Florida added fuel to the fire and how hard the team fought that night showed Stumler they could handle being behind.

“We can take leaps and bounds to overcome the lead and then end up with a win, so that that moment definitely built confidence for us and I think just gave us, you know, the momen-

tum to know that we can overcome it,” Stumler said.

They would call upon that confidence in the tournament, bouncing back from a dropped set against Washington and a dropped set against Texas on their way to no. 1.

“I knew we had a chance. Did I think we’d never go - to only lose two sets the NCAA tournament, no I didn’t, I didn’t predict that,” Skinner said.

“Not to be cocky or arrogant but more so just, we have pure confidence and the skill and athleticism, the IQ of the game, that this team can do it and if there’s

a team in program history that’s going to do it, this year,” Stumler said.

One of the team’s guiding ideas is that each player should be themselves, so that Alli Stumler is the best Alli she can be, and Avery Skinner the best Avery she can be, and Gabby Curry the best Gabby she can be.

“When everyone is just their best self and giving to the team, that’s when great things happen and legacies are left behind and history’s made, and that’s definitely what this team has done over the past few weeks,” Stumler said.

Even in the title match,

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK celebrates the game winning point after the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA womenís volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. UK won 3-1.

Kentucky stayed true to themselves - dancing on the sidelines as they have done all season in Memorial Coliseum.

That kind of tradition made the competition fun.

Outside of the team’s assurance in their prowess, their love for each other and their drive, they still remembered to enjoy the ride.

“To be currently living a dream and for me and our family to live a dream like this is, you know, you can’t - there’s no monetary value or material thing you can put on that. It’s fulfillment, when you set out to accomplish something and you’re living it,” Skinner said.

Being able to live out their dreams is even more sweet in light of the uncertainty over whether there even be a season at all because of COVID-19. The possibility of losing the season was hard to come to terms with.

“Finally getting the news that we’re going to do this and we’re going to play this fall and they’re going to come back and play this spring and NCAA announcing that we’re gonna have a championship… all of those moments were so pivotal for us because it allowed us to really put our eyes on what we were going after,” Lilley said.

Even with their eyes on the prize, the actual achievement of their goal still feels unbelievable.

“It just doesn’t feel real yet that we just, we’re the number one team in the country right now, you know? We’re the national champions,” Stumler said.

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By Barkley Truax sports@kykernel.com

For the first time in school history, the Kentucky volleyball team won the NCAA National Championship Saturday night after defeating Texas 3-1 (2025, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22).

If one word could describe the 2020-21 season, it would be dominance.

Kentucky finished their historic season with a 24-1 record, with their only blemish to then top-10 ranked Florida in five sets — the only team to push the Wildcats to a full game all season. Craig Skinner’s squad was able to sweep every team they faced from Oct. 29 to March 13, winning 38-straight sets in the process.

Kentucky’s regular season prowess carried over to the post season as Kentucky won their first 10 sets in the NCAA tournament before defeating Washington in four sets in the national semifinal. Take a look back at Kentucky’s road to making history: Second Round — UNLV: Kentucky swept UNLV 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-18) behind Avery and Madi Skinner’s combined 22 kills (11 each) and SEC Player of the Year Madison Lilley’s 44 assists.

“Madi Skinner hits at a whole different level and forces the defense to guard the whole net,” head coach Craig Skinner said post-

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Volleyball’s road to no. 1 game.

The Rebels (13-1) came into the second round undefeated on the season with a chip on their shoulder.

Kentucky hadn’t graced the court in over three weeks between their final regular season game and their first postseason matchup.

Rust from the Wildcats’ extended break was nonexistent as they dominated UNLV from the opening serve. But that’s not to say the Rebels didn’t have a winning mindset early on.

“UNLV only gave up three unforced errors in the first set, so we had to earn 22 of them,” Skinner said.

The Wildcats finished their first tournament game with 50 kills and 13 errors on 79 total attempts, crushing to a victory and their fourth regional semifinal in program history.

Regional Semifinal — Western Kentucky: This game began at 11:35 p.m. due to delays in the previous match, much to the dismay of the BBN. The team stayed warmed up while they waited in the arena and quickly dispatched WKU, who were previously undefeated Hilltoppers (23-1).

Kentucky swept WKU 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-10) behind Lilley’s 38 assists, nine digs, two digs and two kills. Azhani Tealer notched eight kills in nine attempts as well.

“It really felt like we could do no wrong,” Tealer

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF Kentucky Wildcats outside hitter Madi Skinner (2) spikes the ball during the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA women’s volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

said after the match.

The Wildcats lived up to their No. 2 overall seed as the game progressed, stretching the margin of win in each set “We’ve been working over a year,” Alli Stumler said post-match. “Whether that was in quarantine, working at home or in the gym where we only had five people maybe because some were quarantined, or we couldn’t get all 15 people in the gym. It’s awesome and rewarding to see everything pay off,” Stumler said. She finished the

match with a game-high 17 kills on the night.

Kentucky had less than 20 hours to prepare for their Elite Eight matchup against Purdue, which would be on the same day given that the WKU match ended after midnight on Monday morning. There was only one thing on the team’s mind after the latenight finish.

“Sleep,” Craig Skinner said. “Sleep in . . . Sleep as much as you can.”

Regional Final — No. 7 Purdue:

Less than 24 hours after defeating WKU, the Wildcats took on No. 7 Purdue (16-7). Kentucky secured their place in program history with their 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-20, 25-16) of the Boilermakers, giving them their first Final Four berth in program history.

Kentucky came back from a five point deficit in the first set, led by Alli Stumler with six kills on an 8-1 run. An ace serve from Gabby Curry tied the set at 21 and Kentucky never looked back.

“If that set goes a dif-

ferent way, the whole complexity of that match can change,” Coach Skinner said after the game.

After the scare in the first, Kentucky regained the confidence they exuded throughout the NCAA tournament, breaking free in the second and putting on one of the most impressive 25-points stretches all season in the third set.

They scored the first seven points in the third set to again stretch their win margin as the game continued.

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Monday, April 26, 2021

ROAD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Stumler, who finished with a double-double (16 kills, 10 digs) credited Coach Skinner for willing the team on throughout the trying times that has been the season of COVID-19.

“It’s so special to play for a coach like that,” she said. “Such an advocate for the sport and growing the game . . . I’m so pumped we can do this for him.”

“It’s so special to play for a coach like that,” she said. “Such an advocate for the sport and growing the game . . . I’m so pumped we can do this for him.”

Final Four — No. 6 Washington: Kentucky defeated Washington (20-4) 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17) Thursday night, advancing to their first championship game in program history

behind Avery Skinner’s 19 kills.

Prior to the first serve, it was announced that Craig Skinner had been named 2020-21 American Volleyball Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year. Madison Lilley also took home 2020-21 Division One Player of the Year, the first SEC player in history to achieve the honor.

After the Wildcats cruised through the first set, Washington gave Kentucky their first set loss of the NCAA tournament 25-23 after a successful Husky challenge that forced the game 22-21 instead of a 23-20 Kentucky lead.

Despite leading 20-15, Kentucky fell to an 8-2 run that ultimately tied the game at one set a piece.

Kentucky found themselves in unfamiliar territory down 12-7 in set three. Not to be deterred, the Wildcats, just as Washington had done in the second, came back down big to win the set 25-23, capping a 9-1 run with a huge Av-

ery Skinner spike.

“We adjusted our serving strategy a little bit and adjusted our defense slightly, but it was the players making plays and executing. Bottom line,” Skinner said about the third set.

Set four was routine of the Wildcats, building an early lead and not letting up, what Skinner calls ‘imposing their will’ to take them to the title match.

Huskies head coach Keegan Cook credited UK for their allaround skill.

“Great teams make plays.

They made plays,” Cook said in a press conference.

National Championship — No. 4 Texas The stakes couldn’t have been higher as Kentucky and Texas (27-2) graced the hardwood of the CHI Health Center in Omaha in the national championship match.

Kentucky trailed for the entirety of set one, giving up the first set for the first time since October 2020. Texas looked tougher, more athletic from the start and was riding the wave of momentum they caught by sweeping No. 1 Wisconsin two nights before, while Kentucky made several unforced errors.

But Stumler and Avery Skinner’s stellar second set turned the tide on Texas, taking a 9-5 lead early on. Tealer recorded threestraight blocks, extending the Wildcat margin and after a set point ace from Stumler, the game was tied at one set a piece.

Kentucky won set three 25-23 after a back and forth nail-biter to take a 2-1 lead, with one set to go for victory.

Texas was dominant in the fourth set, starting out 6-1 behind multiple unforced errors by Kentucky, forcing Coach Skinner to call a timeout. The Wildcats

sports

took the lead 14-13 and never trailed again as reality began to set in — the first national championship in Kentucky volleyball history and the first SEC program to ever achieve the feat. Though Texas hung on and never let UK run away with the lead, Kentucky pulled through to win the school and conference’s first national title.

“I could go on for days about this group,” Stumler said, who recorded a game-high 26 kills.

“The emotions that everyone is feeling is so well deserved.”

The champions attempted 141 attacks with 61 kills and 14 errors. Lilley had 53 assists and Madi Skinner also had 19 kills; Stumler was responsible for 29 points.

“This is the team to make history, to leave behind an unbelievable legacy. That was our word for the year - was legacy,” Stumler said.

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK dances during a challenge review during the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA womenís volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. UK won 3-1. spring 2021 | 9

Monday, April 26, 2021

Photos from championship weekend

JACK WEAVER I STAFF The UK volleyball team sways to “My Old Kentucky Home” during a ceremony to welcome home the volleyball team from their national championship victory on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF Senior Madison Lilley holds the championship trophy over her head as she is introduced during a ceremony to welcome home the volleyball team from their national championship victory on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

10 | kentucky kernel

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF Kentucky huddles up before the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA women’s volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. UK won 3-1.

Monday, April 26, 2021

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK celebrates a point during the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA womenís volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF Senior Gabby Curry carries the championship trophy towards fans after landing on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky.

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK tries to block a Texas kill during the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA women’s volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK warms up before the University of Kentucky vs. Texas NCAA women’s volleyball championship game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

spring 2021 | 11

Monday, April 26, 2021

news

‘One more couch.’ Fiery State Street celebration after volleyball wins the ’ship

By Sarah Michels news@kykernel.com

No basketball national championship, no problem. UK students took full advantage of their opportunity to revive the couch-burning tradition Saturday night after the UK volleyball team clinched the NCAA championship in a 3-1 victory against the Texas Longhorns.

Students even added BIRD scooters and stop signs into the State Street mix.

“It was right after they won NCAAs, which is what we wanted for basketball, but volleyball will do,” said UK senior Brandy, who asked that her full name not be published.

“I’m so happy for them, it was amazing.”

Brandy, who lives a street down from State Street, said that students set fire to a couch, then threw four BIRD scooters and three stop signs into the blaze.

It didn’t take long for a crowd of hundreds of students to form around the fire and smoke, alternating between chants of “C-AT-S!” “volleyball school!

“USA!” and “one more couch!” The smell of alcohol and the bonfire filled the air as crowd members took selfies, crowd-surfed and threw beer cans into

12 | kentucky kernel

the flames.

One student pushed another in a shopping cart, running at full speed toward the crowd. A student held a stereo on his shoulder as he ran around the fire, blasting the unofficial soundtrack to UK sports —“It’s a party, it’s a party, it’s a party.” Stop signs pulled out of the dirt where they belonged were loudly slammed against the ground. Chaos reigned in the spirit of celebration.

The volleyball team knew State Street was out celebrating from messages from friends. Senior, setter and the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Madison Lilley said seeing the support excited the team.

“Welcome to the bandwagon, everyone. We’ve been on it but it’s exciting to see other people on it, and, yeah, ‘volleyball school’ and we love to see that,” Lilley said.

After watching the game, sophomore Eli Hudspeth followed some of his friends out to the scene, where students were “running around just being nuts and stuff.”

“I think it’s kind of cool.

I think it’s a lot of fun, like, just something like the whole university can celebrate,” Hudspeth said. “It might be a little over the top, but I kind of like see-

JACK WEAVER I STAFF UK students dance to music being played on a speaker while gathered around a burning couch on State Street on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky as students celebrate Kentucky volleyball’s national championship.

ing the people come out.”

“Fun” was Saturday night’s buzzword—that, and “go Cats.” After a long year of COVID restrictions and a men’s basketball drought, many were eager to let loose.

“We knew when we won, we were going to State Street,” said one UK senior.

Police, firefighters and first responders arrived on scene after receiving calls about people gathering and pulling up stop signs.

They stood on the outskirts of the crowd, watching the ensuing action but not taking preventive measures.

At one point, a glass bottle was thrown in their direction from across the fire,

narrowly missing hitting a firefighter on the head.

Lieutenant Jackson of the Lexington police department said the practice of monitoring the situation without interfering is typical in peaceful circumstances like Saturday night’s. There were no arrests or citations.

By 11:30 p.m., police

had blocked all access to State Street, preventing any through traffic but not dissuading any pedestrians from entering.

“You can go [onto State St], but anything that happens to you is on you,” an officer said when asked about the barricade.

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Monday, April 26, 2021

news STATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

A majority of students were not wearing masks, and did notmaintain social distancing in the frenzy.

“I’m double vaccinated,” said Madison Mindorf, one of the UK students in attendance.

Mindorf explained that she is not concerned about COVID because the university has opened vaccine appointments for all individuals over 16. She was there with friends Casey Smith and Macy Cider, all of whom were out at a bar when they heard people were gathering at State

Street through Snapchat.

According to university spokesperson Jay Blanton, UK will not pursue additional testing following the mass gathering.

Cider, who had been there since the first couch burning, said that the first flames were extinguished by police, but the crowd eventually got the fire raging again. When the second couch was added, she and her friends wanted a better view.

“We went toward it, because we thought that was wise, and then we heard that they [police] were going to tear gas us, and we’re trying to jet now,” Cider said, laughing.

A little after midnight, as the flames of the second couch burning grew hotter, higher and more dangerous, firefighters ran in to extinguish the flames, as well as the celebration. Not everyone was ready for the party to end so soon. As the remnants of couch frames and scooters smoked in the street, someone set off a firework and a lone call of “one more couch” was heard in the night.

Nonetheless, the revelry was over. Unscathed couches and BIRD scooters of Lexington could take a deep sigh of relief—at least until the Wildcats win their next national championship.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF A reveler takes a selfie in a crowd of students on State Street on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky as students celebrate Kentucky volleyball’s national title.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF Police force UK students away from a burning couch on State Street on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky as students celebrate Kentucky volleyball’s national championship win.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF A couch burns on State Street on Saturday, April 24, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky as students celebrate Kentucky volleyball’s national title.

spring 2021 | 13

Monday, April 26, 2021

news

At watch party, fans eager witnesses to historic championship

By Sarah Michels news@kykernel.com

Veteran volleyball aficionados and untested new fans alike gathered in Memorial Coliseum Saturday night to watch UK volleyball make history.

The crowd of around 200 was not lacking in enthusiasm. Each Kentucky point was met with a round of applause loud enough to have come from a crowd double the size. Fans were visibly stressed when things weren’t going the Wildcats’ way, holding their head in their hands and restlessly moving in their seats.

As the night wore on, the energy and applause only grew as emotions heightened. The crowd was loudest when Kentucky came from behind to even the score to 13-13 in the fourth set. After that point, the Wildcats never looked back.

A group of six UK sophomores sat in the front row, although they were standing and cheering more often than they were sitting. Matt Sak was particularly enthusiastic, rocketing up from his seat every time the Wildcats scored a point.

He is new to the UK volleyball fanbase after being inspired by their historic run this season.

“I want these girls to know that I’m here for them and I’m giving it my all, just like they are right now,” Sak said. “It just comes from the heart. I just love UK so much.”

Kristina Sosa, another front row sophomore, said she was super excited to be able to watch this year’s team in a group setting after a year of COVID.

14 | kentucky kernel

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Erik Osorio, a UK freshman, celebrates during a watch party for Kentucky volleyball as they competed for the national championship on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

“I think we’re about to make history,” she said after Kentucky’s win in the second set.

She was right. After losing the first set, the Wildcats pulled a three-set streak to win the NCAA title for the first time in program history.

“It’s just crazy that I’ve lived here my whole life and I got to see a title in my time at Kentucky,” said UK senior Drew Welsh.

Welsh came with his 16-year-old brother, Nate.

“It’s just so surreal, I’ve watched one other title at UK before and it’s just such a good feeling,” Nate said.

The crowd wasn’t limited to UK students. Families with kids, teenagers and older fans made up half of the attendees.

Pat Whelan brought his two daughters to the watch party. Lily, 15, and Lola, 12, play volleyball for KIVA, a top club team in Louisville, and love following UK. Whelan said they are crazy about Alli Stumler in particular, who is a KIVA alumna.

“They watch them all the time,” he said. “We were watching, a week or so ago, games that were played three and four years ago.”

Ana Luna, who runs her own

volleyball league for Hispanic Kentuckians, Liga Hispana de Volleyball, also brought her family to the watch party. Luna said it’s been really fun to see the Kentucky women play so well throughout the season.

Greenlee Eaton’s eyes lit up as she talked about watching the national championship. Eaton, 13, is just starting to play volleyball herself, and said it was exciting to be at Memorial Coliseum Saturday night.

“It’s like super cool because you know you were there to see the very first SEC team to win. So that’s really cool being a part of

that,” she said.

There were more than a few watery eyes in the Memorial Coliseum crowd as the confetti rained down on the victorious players down in Omaha. Chris Kalb, a huge UK fan who holds season tickets to nine sports, was speechless as the emotion of the win set in.

Just five years ago, he had hoped to witness a Kentucky volleyball SEC title in his lifetime, and now, they were crowned NCAA champions. He said he predicted that the final match would be a contest between Kentucky and Texas several days ago, and never doubted for a second.

“Everybody’s talking about how we’ve got to be wary of Texas; Texas needs to be wary of Kentucky, because we have so many skilled positions. Not just one or two, we’ve got the whole team.”

Freshman Kathan Devaraj said it was cool to experience a national championship in his first year at UK. “I liked the comeback, the fact that we lost the first set,” he said.

“We were resilient, we came back and won three sets straight.”

After the ESPN coverage was over, the crowd exited the stadium, their broad smiles in stark contrast to the dark, rainy night.

After a disappointing basketball season, the Wildcats were back on top, back to normalcy.

“This has been a really hard year for all of our students, and it’s just super exciting that we can come together in a separated party and all watch it on TV,” said UK senior and student government president Courtney Wheeler.

Monday, April 26, 2021

news

Welcome home party celebrates team and community

By Barkley Truax sports@kykernel.com

14 hours after achieving the ultimate feat and capturing the 2020 - 2021 Volleyball National Championship, Kentucky volleyball was welcomed home with a celebration on their home court Sunday afternoon.

The team arrived from Bluegrass Airport to the cheers of the Big Blue Nation as they entered Memorial Coliseum. Each member of the volleyball team was introduced individually, and head coach Craig Skinner, Alli Stumler, Avery Skinner and especially Division One Player of the Year, Madison Lilley received huge ovations from the crowd.

“I don’t think you understand how hard this group of people worked since August 4th. There’s no way winning a national championship was harder than what we just went through,” Skinner said. “...When you come to Kentucky, your goal is to win the big daddy trophy. . . When we were in Omaha we could feel you, the Big Blue Nation.”

A standing ovation followed by a “Go Big Blue” chant ensued.

Gabby Curry took the stand next.

Before the season, Coach Skinner asked this group of seniors what they wanted to be remembered for.

“We wanted to be legendary,” Curry said.

The 2020 National Championship banner was revealed behind a standing ovation as the crowd clapped along to the UK fight song.

“Why not? Why can’t we win

a national championship at Kentucky,” Coach Skinner said in a video package. Their dreams have now become reality as they replayed the game winning spike, killed by Stumler, on Saturday night as the crowd cheered their Cats on one more time.

“Indescribable,” Avery Skinner said about the feeling she felt the moment her team realized their dream. “You can’t think about what it’ll feel like until you’re in it and it was amazing.

We were all holding hands; the power of fifteen is so strong and I’m just so proud of everyone. It was a real team effort to get here.

Kentucky is only the eleventh team to win a volleyball title.

This championship transcends just volleyball; it has given the Lexington community something to cheer for the Lexington community in a tough year.

For young local girl with dreams of playing Division One volleyball someday, they now have something to hold onto and women to look up to.

“I’m excited to watch the game grow even more because of this. . . we’re not just female athletes, we’re athletes,” Lilley said.

“Being able to bring [a championship] back to Lexington and spread the game even more, we always talk about giving back to the game.”

Lilley’s hardware collection has expanded tremendously over the last several weeks. She claims the titles of 2020-21 SEC Player of the Year, AVCA All-Southeast Region Player of the Year, First Team All-American and 2020-21 AVCA Division One Player of the

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Head coach Craig Skinner kisses the championship trophy during a ceremony to welcome home the volleyball team from their national championship victory on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

Year, but none can compare to being called national champion.

“It’s a completely different ballgame,” Lilley said. “The individual stuff is one thing, but to see all of the hard work that we’ve put in as a collective group to come together for a national championship, that’s something that will forever mean more.”

Kentucky made history, not just by bringing home the first volleyball title in program history, but in SEC history. With

UK’s win, the SEC has now won a championship in all sports it sponsors. And, the victory marks the first time two UK teams have won national titles in the same year - rifle claimed another in March. The win is extra sweet because it came from a year where teams essentially played two seasons due to COVID-19.

“To grind for nine months with the same group of girls, the trust and the relationships you build and then ultimately winning

a championship is everything,” Lilley continued. “It’s far more special than anything else.”

But what’s next for Kentucky Volleyball?

“Whoever doesn’t think we couldn’t do it, they definitely know we can now,” Azhani Tealer said. “I think we know what it takes. . . we will be back [to the national championship], I can promise you that.”

spring 2021 | 15

Monday, April 26, 2021

news

Student council plans spring formal before finals

By Brooklyn Kelley news@kykernel.com

What better way to relax and unwind before cramming for finals than attending a formal with friends? The University of Kentucky Honors College Student Council (HCSC) is hosting the Honors Spring Formal on April 30 at 8 p.m. in the UK Gatton Student Center. The event will take place in the Harris Ballroom and is expected to last until 10 p.m.

Registration is $5 per student, and students can register anytime until April 29.

The link to register is in the bio of the organization’s Instagram, @ukyhcsc.

Attendees are welcome to wear their

business casual or homecoming-style attire. This includes cocktail dresses, heels, button-downs and khakis.

Although this event is being put on by the Honors College, any UK student is eligible to attend. However, due to the event being hosted on campus, only students enrolled at UK will be able to attend; students will not be permitted to bring any outside guests.

“We know it’s going to look a little different than a traditional formal, and so we’re placing emphasis more on it being a gathering to talk to people,” HCSC president Shelby McCubbin said.

“Our thought is just to have a fun way to end the year before finals for honors

students and for other university students as well,” HCSC social chair Jackie Arnold said.

Games and door prizes will be offered at the event. Arnold said that these games can be easily sanitized, such as cornhole and ring toss. The prizes will include Lewis Honors College t-shirts and gift cards.

This event has been in the works since last summer. HCSC was planning on hosting a formal last year, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the semester being cut short.

“It’s kind of just really cool that it’s still going to happen even with everything that has seemed to go wrong this year,” McCubbin said.

There will be a mask requirement, distancing guidelines, a designated entrance and exit and a questionnaire upon entry in order to stay COVID-19 guideline compliant.

Arnold said that as of now, they have around 150 people registered to attend.

The HCSC is encouraging people to come by for a bit but not stay the entire duration of the event due to COVID restrictions on how many people can be in the Harris Ballroom at a time.

The theme of the dance is “Under the Stars.” There will be pre-packaged snacks provided at the event.

Trial in fatal shooting of UK student delayed

By Natalie Parks news@kykernel.com

Following a status hearing in Fayette Circuit Court, the trial by jury for three men accused of killing a UK student will be delayed until April of 2022.

The suspects, Justin Smith, Roman Gonzalez and Efrain Diaz, are each charged with murder and two counts of robbery in the fatal shooting of Jonathan Krueger, a University of Kentucky student and Kentucky Kernel photo editor.

Smith also accrued charges for fleeing the police and tampering with evidence.

The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of April 17, 2015.

In the status hearing overseen by Judge Ernesto Scorsone, lawyers for Smith and Diaz said the co-defendants had failed to reach a plea deal because of a condition that such an arrangement apply to all three suspects.

Smith will appear in a May hearing to file a motion of suppression to exclude some evidence from the trial.

The trial, which will be held seven years after Kruger’s death, will not seek the death penalty for any of the accused following a Kentucky Supreme Court decision.

The initial question of whether the death penalty should be sought was raised by Scorsone, who ruled in another case that those under 21 at the time of a crime because their brains are not fully developed.

16 | kentucky kernel

Smith was 18 and Diaz 20 at the time of the shooting.

The death penalty was never sought for Gonzalez because he was a minor at the time of the shooting. All three defendants could face 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole if found guilty.

The status hearing confirmed that the prosecution will not seek the death penalty for Smith and Diaz, according to assistant attorney for the Commonwealth Amanda Morgan.

The Supreme Court decision initially said that it was too early to make a ruling and the death penalty because neither Smith nor Diaz had been convicted yet.

This is at least the third delay of the trial, which will now begin on April 4, 2022, which Scorsone said was the earliest available date.

For Krueger’s family, the trial’s delay is another delay of closure, though the pain of Jonathan’s death will never fade.

“I’m frankly stunned that it’s taken this long, but I kind of realized as time marched on these cases take on a life of their own, and they’re sort of out of our hands,” said Mary Krueger, Jonathan’s mother.

Some of the delays were due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mary Krueger said she thinks no matter the outcome of the trial, her family will still be frustrated by the senselessness of the crime that took Jonathan’s life.

I don’t know how you close something, it’s always there with you and the holes obviously are with you.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO Kentucky Kernel Photo Editor Jonathan Krueger at Rupp Arena on Jan. 20, 2015 in Lexington.

Monday, April 26, 2021

opinions

Zoom classes: Soon to be a memory or here to stay?

By Shawn Clancy opinions@kykernel.com

In a post-COVID world, should UK still offer a greater amount of online and hybrid classes than they did pre-COVID? Ask any student or professor about “Zoom fatigue” and I guarantee you’ll receive eye rolls. It’s a term that has been coined rather recently, but it sums up how many of us are feeling one year into the pandemic.

While services like Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts have become an essential part of our day-to-day lives, many people have grown tired of the contactless world we find ourselves in. For students, there are certain extra challenges that come with online college, such as a lack of motivation, internet connectivity issues and confusing interfaces.

Professors have also often complained about a lack of motivation due to reduced participation during class. Despite this, these virtual services don’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

According to the website Business of Apps, in April 2020, Zoom saw its highest peak in daily users at over 300 million.

Skype also hit a peak with 40 million daily users in March 2020.

When the University of Kentucky decided to implement a hybrid learning program for the 2020-21 school year, there were understandably some concerns regarding tuition, student access and ability to effectively learn from home. Although heavily criticized for the move, the uni-

versity has reported increases in both enrollment and retention rates this year.

My personal experience with the move to online learning at UK has been mostly good, as I feel that my professors have put significant effort into adjusting their normally in-person lesson plans to fit the new format; however, there are still definite concerns I have if this is to remain a commonplace option.

For one, I think many would agree with me that the Canvas interface is not always the easiest to navigate. The biggest problem I have found is that there are inconsistencies in how professors use the service. Where one professor may use “Modules” to organize their lesson plans, others upload to the “Files” section. Some professors do not input grades until the end of the semester, while others grade right away. I believe this should be consistent across classes in order to put less stress on both the students, trying to figure out college in this new format, and the professors, who are not familiar with web design and must learn on their own.

Apart from interface issues, I have heard from many students that feel as though they are not getting the level of education for which they are paying. While the online classes are useful and have allowed the university to continue educating through COVID, I think that there should be some future consideration put into making sure that first-year students do not have too many online classes in their schedule. This would

JACK WEAVER | STAFF A UK student works on her computer on the first day of in-person classes on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in William T. Young Library in Lexington, Kentucky.

allow the incoming freshmen to have a true college experience their first year on campus, which would acclimate them to a normal learning environment. Being able to attend in-person classes and events is also essential to having a healthy social life on campus.

Too many young adults have been suffering through this pandemic, as they have not been able to connect with others in the ways that they used to. By leaning too heavily on Zoom, UK would only be exacerbating that problem.

Although having an online option is useful, traditional learning

and social environments are undeniably important to college students. Despite this, I have a feeling that online classes, along with working from home via Zoom or similar services, are here to stay for the time being. There are a lot of benefits associated with this, including higher productivity rates and higher satisfaction rates among workers, as organizations like Great Place to Work and CNBC have found. These trends point to a future where working and studying from home are more commonplace, though the long term effects of this on our society

are yet to be seen.

It seems inevitable that UK will continue to utilize Canvas and Zoom in the future. While we may be suffering from “Zoom fatigue,” being able to provide access to quality education for more people, such as those unable to leave their homes, is never a bad thing. I hope to see the university make certain adjustments on an administrative level, but I am optimistic that as we head toward a new normal, we will find a balance that provides everyone the education they deserve.

spring 2021 | 17

Monday, April 26, 2021

sports

UK Cheer and Dance teams brace for Nationals

By Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com

During brisk fall nights at Kroger Field and afternoon action at Rupp Arena this year, fans noticed a number of differences.

Fewer spectators in the stands was the most glaring, but it wasn’t the only notable change. Both UK’s cheer and dance teams were unable to serve in a similar capacity on CATurdays compared to past seasons due to COVID-19 protocols. Fortunately for the teams, the limited public display hasn’t affected their ability to prepare for the national championship competition.

Typically, both the cheerleading and dance national title events would have taken place at or near the end of January. That’s when the 2019-20 events were held, before any true worry of COVID-19 becoming rooted in U.S. society had become widespread. It’s also when UK cheer failed to bring home the UCA Championship title for the first time since 2016, finishing in third place.

As the consensus gold standard, winning 24 titles in 35 years speak the loudest of volumes, that loss almost seems unfathomable for UK Cheer. However, they’re not anticipating that result again this season. When first-year head cheer coach Ryan Martin O’Connor spoke to the media last Tuesday, she provided a vote of confidence in this year’s bunch.

“We’re grateful for the chance to get to go in person to Orlando … and compete for our 25th

18 | kentucky kernel

national title,” she said. “Our team is looking really good right now...I feel more nervous about the travel and COVID policies and procedures than anything related to our performance … we’re in a really good spot.”

The squad was thrown a last-minute curveball just three weeks ago, when O’Connor learned the scoring system would be somewhat unconventional compared to previous years.

“Our score will be 50/50 with two days [of competition] combined, instead of a semifinals/ finals format,” she said. “Both days will count and count equally, which is new for us.”

The usual weight system, 25/75, placed a larger emphasis on teams’ second day performances. According to UK senior and cheer squad member Chas Welte, the key now is elite repetition.

“A lot of importance has been placed on consistency rather than going out and hitting the best routine on day two,” he said. “We want the best routine every single time and always look forward to the next routine being better than the last.”

Coming into the tournament not as defending champions is an unfamiliar position for UK Cheer that presented some mindset challenges.

“This is Chas and I’s first time coming off of a loss,” senior Riley Aguiar said. “I think that changes the mentality a little bit. People seem to be more nervous, but our mindset is to forget the past and focus on what we know how to

STAFF FILE PHOTO UK Cheer Team performs during the exhibition game against Kentucky State University on Friday, November 1, 2019, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 83-51.

do … when we started doing that, it built a lot of confidence for everyone.”

The dance team’s experience has mirrored the cheer squad’s, and head coach Dawn Walters believes her crew is prepared.

“We’re ready … I’m excited and ready for us to go,” she said.

“We feel confidence, we’re excited to go … let’s do this.”

While the cheer competition also shifted scoring from 25/75 to 50/50, Walters believes it has less of an impact on dance, due to the nature of their performances and overall scoring scale.

“Most teams are so consistent that it’s kind of just a give or take on day one or day two, unlike cheer, where someone may fall or a big stunt doesn’t hit,” she said.

“There’s not as much of a risk … just by the basics of how dance routines kind of roll.”

Regardless of the sport, chemistry is imperative. The team was only able to practice via Zoom early in the year, which made building camaraderie difficult.

“For a little bit, I was just kind of like, this is going to be tough.

These kids don’t know each other that well,” Walters said. “Now, if

you all were to see these kids, you would have sworn they’ve known each other for years [and] have been around each other forever … it’s been really neat as a coach to really watch.”

Walters gave immense credit to the seniors on the squad, such as Nicole Kaeka and Olivia Dickerson, who expressed a desire to pay things forward.

“We wanted to make sure that they had the most normal year as they could and got to know us the way we knew our seniors and everybody else on the team,” Dickerson said.

See STATE on page 19

Monday, April 26, 2021

news

Fashion show brings pop of color to campus

By Hannah Stanley news@kykernel.com

Despite a pandemic, the annual “Color Me Spring” fashion show still took place on Friday, April 23, 2021. Held in the University of Kentucky Gatton Student Center Ballroom and with free admission, the event was available to all students and guests of interest.

Hosted by the university’s Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, the show was put on by students within the department who found the models, organized the show and worked with locally-operated vendors like Draper James, Loft and E.Leigh’s Contemporary Boutique; shops like these provided the garments which were featured in the show.

There were no large brand-name retailers participating in the show, as one of the students’ goals was to highlight local shops in the Lexington area. The shops varied in location, two of the main areas being at the Mall at Lexington Green and The Summit at Fritz Farm.

Doors opened at 6:45 p.m., and the show began at 7 p.m. As they entered, each guest received a white goodie bag containing pamphlets featuring the vendors, stress toys and gift certificates.

Blue-colored LED lights radiated onto the audience with a floral and pastel-colored stage for the models to walk on, fitting the style of displayed outfits. Boutique-like music played as the audience awaited the beginning of the show, followed by upbeat trendy tunes as the models walked.

The audience in attendance on Friday

STATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

“We wanted to make sure we were all one cohesive team, and nobody felt like they got the short end of the stick because

evening included all genders and ages.

The models within the show were also of all genders, ages and races, the diversity of outfits matching that seen among the models.

“I like the fact that the outfits were simple yet perfect for the springtime. They also used a good mix of retail and local clothing to make the outfits and did a good job of representing the models of all body sizes and races,” freshman Sheridan Johnson said.

Each shop demonstrated their own twists on trending fashion while all still collaborating with a common theme of spring pastel colors and bold pops of colors.

The diversity among the models was matched with the multiple outfits each wore, ranging from jeans and white tank tops to formal, fitting dresses. Accessories varied from handbags to earrings to even scarf belts.

Family and friends in the audience sat

HANNAH STANLEY I STAFF A student models on the catwalk of the “Color Me Spring” fashion show held on Friday, April 23, 2021, in the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

it was [the] COVID year.”

Kaeka reiterated just how important having chemistry is to putting on a quality performance, reminiscing on teams that lacked the attribute to demonstrate why she and Dickerson, among others, were not going to let this team exist without it.

“[We’ve] experienced teams where you’re not close, and it doesn’t work,” senior Nicole Kaeka said. “You don’t get as much accomplished [and] people aren’t as confident… experiencing those kind of teams in the past have made us really want to develop a relationship with the un-

socially distanced in couples or single chairs with masks being worn at all times in order to satisfy COVID-19 precautionary measures. The participating models and emcee of the show were the only individuals without masks for the duration of the event.

University of Kentucky freshmen Kelly Murphy and Kendall Reiniche came out to the event with Johnson in support of the businesses and new spring fashion.

“All throughout high school I went to all the fashion shows, so I really wanted to see what ours would be like. I also wanted to get more involved in campus activities, and knew I just had to check it out,” said Murphy.

Although Friday’s fashion show was their first since coming to UK, Johnson, Murphy and Reiniche want to attend more frequently and hear about future shows supporting the university’s departments and local Lexington boutiques and shops.

It was a safe and fun event for her and her friends to attend, Reiniche said.

Sophomore Chris Likens and freshman Julia Keisling also attended the event to support a friend who was walking the runway, model Maya Blankenship.

“I went to the fashion show to support my friend Maya and thought it would be a cool thing to do considering I’ve never been to a fashion show,” said Likens.

The “Color Me Spring” fashion show has become an annual tradition at UK, and its reappearance heralds not only the coming of warmer weather but an optimistic return to some normalcy on campus.

derclassmen … [and let] them know that we’re here for them.”

Both teams departed for Orland Sunday, April 25, and compete on Tuesday and Wednesday.

spring 2021 | 19

Monday, April 26, 2021

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spring 2021 | 11