Gotten some questions about this. If the tourney was seeded tomorrow, I think UK is the last 1 seed behind UF, Pitt and Neb. SMU has some AWFUL losses, Bucky has one more loss and lost the H2H, and UL’s best win is a bad Texas team. So I think they still have it. But by a thread.

If they go on to win out the reg. season, win the SEC Tourney, and run to the Final Four, all of this is moot. And all three of those things are VERY attainable. But they have to be sharper mentally. I’ve got full faith this staff can get them there. But the team has to want it.

Ultimately, this is nowhere close to a “bad” resume loss. Kentucky has NONE: all four are to Top 10 teams on the road or neutral. But you had leads in three of those four games. That’s why it’s hard to swallow. Kentucky is still an elite team. But they need to get sharper.

Please don’t mishear me. You are correct: this team is 1,000% still a Final Four favorite and title contender. But Skinner himself has anguished over the mental lapses. Sometimes it takes matches and results like tonight to remind you what it takes to win at the highest level.

Florida ain’t losing another SEC match. And frankly, as much as I would love to see Kentucky win another SEC Title, I don’t think I want Florida to lose it. Gators are a BLAST to watch. Hate to say it, but losing an SEC title might be what Kentucky needs to take a step forward…

Cats very likely just lost that SEC Title tonight. But to be frank, they haven't exactly played this conference season like they wanted it. Far too many mental lapses for a program that has been so known for mental toughness in October. Cats have a lot of self-reflection to do.

Tennessee wins the fifth 15-10 and the match 3-2 to reverse sweep Kentucky. Cats out-dug them 66 to 62, out-blocked them 11 to 5, out-hit them .285 to .243, and had fewer hitting errors. Let their foot off the gas in set three and that was the match. Just an unacceptable loss.

Against Florida, Kentucky started hot in the fifth and let their serve receive crumble late. Put your foot on the gas to start this set offensively, calm down in serve receive, and go win a game you really have to have.

Cats fought back to make it interesting at the end, but we will indeed play five in Knoxville after Tennessee takes the fourth 25-21 to tie this thing up at two sets a piece. Time to see how badly Kentucky wants that SEC Title.

I adore this team and will always be the eternal optimist. But the way they have lost focus mid-match repeatedly this season against both elite AND poor teams just isn’t going to work. You cannot take points off in this sport. Momentum shifts faster than any other. Baffling.

We are 17 points into the fourth set and Kentucky has ONE kill. Utterly unacceptable, especially after the way you started this match. Come on, Kentucky.

Tennessee looked timid and uncomfortable in the first two sets. They've given them life and now Tennessee is a freight train. You better calm this down right now and get back in the set or we're going five. This is absurd.

This is unacceptable. You cannot play like this after the way you played in sets one and two. And it's all because you took your foot off the gas at 15-14 in the third set. Unacceptable with a team this veteran.

If Kentucky doesn't clean up its passing they will absolutely lose this game.

Tennessee only had 12 team kills on a .209 clip in that third set. Not like they went nuclear. Cats just totaled nine hitting errors and got aced twice. Can't give 11 points to another team and expect to win.

Cats are still in control of this match. Not like Tennessee did anything in that one that Kentucky couldn't handle. But you broke down in serve receive and went away from what was working in sets one and two. Can't let a Top Ten team get momentum like that.

Tennessee takes the third set 25-19 to get on the board with the Cats holding a 2-1 lead. Serve receive fell apart midway through that frame and hitters started trying to hit through the meat of the block, rather than using the edges. Too many errors in that set.

Yes they are 🙃 Serve receive fell apart and hitters started trying to hit down into the block too much rather than using the edges the way they had in sets one and two.

BRYAH BREAUX

Skinner will call for time as the Vols pull back in front at 17-15 off some tough serving. Tennessee doing a better job of putting Kentucky in some more uncomfortable situations in this set.