CATS IN THE PROS: How former Kentucky volleyball stars are doing professionally

CATS IN THE PROS: How former Kentucky volleyball stars are doing professionally Categories: Cats In The Pros CATS IN THE PROS: How former Kentucky volleyball stars are doing professionally Alexandra Laguna-Whang, Sports Reporter October 14, 2026 Vincenzo Ciaramitaro Kentucky outside hitter Morgan Gaerte spikes the ball during a volleyball game against Ole Miss on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at Historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky won 3-1. Photo by Vincenzo Ciaramitaro | Kentucky Kernel On Sept. 25, Kentucky volleyball legend Leah Edmond was inducted to the University of Kentucky Athletics 2026 Hall of Fame. Edmond is among many notable alumni of Kentucky Wildcat Volleyball. As Kentucky Volleyball has grown over the years and seen continued success, now is the time to look back on the players that shaped the program into what it is today. Eva Hudson (Class of 2025) Hudson transferred to Kentucky from Purdue in 2024 following the end of her junior season. Upon her arrival in Lexington, she made an immediate impact. Within just her first three games with the Wildcats, she tallied a total of 39 kills and six blocks. She continued on to lead the team alongside current UK outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye to the NCAA Championship game, where Kentucky ultimately fell to Texas A&M. During her time at Kentucky, she won AVCA National Player of the Week, SEC Player of the Year and was a finalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year award. After graduating in 2025, Hudson joined the U23 Women’s National Team and was drafted by LOVB Atlanta, where she competes now. Emma Grome (Class of 2024) Grome joined the Kentucky Wildcats in 2021 as a somewhat undersized setter. However, she made an immediate impact on the team and proved that size does not matter when someone has skill like hers. In only her first year she won SEC Freshman of the Year, was an All-SEC First team player and was an NCAA Second Team All-American. During her sophomore and junior years, she was a two-time consecutive winner of the SEC Player of the Year award and a two-time Second Team All-American. Following her graduation, she played professionally overseas at Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico, Dresden SC in Germany and now plays professionally at a top club in France, Volley Mulhouse Alsace. Reagan Rutherford (Class of 2023) Rutherford came to Lexington from Missouri City, Texas in 2020 as an opposite hitter, where she helped Kentucky to win a NCAA national championship in only her freshman year. Over her years at Kentucky, she was a multiple-time winner of the SEC Player of the Week award and an NCAA Third Team All-American. After graduating in December 2023, she transferred to the University of Texas as a graduate student. She has since played professional volleyball overseas for Volley Mulhouse Alsace in France, and this year was drafted to LOVB Nebraska where she will play alongside volleyball legends like Jordan Larson and Lexi Rodriguez. Azhani Tealer (Class of 2022) Tealer is a 5-foot-10 middle blocker from Grand Prairie, Texas who was recruited to the Wildcats in 2019. She graduated in 2022 then returned to Lexington to play her fifth year that fall. During her time at Kentucky, she was a four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week, an All-SEC player all five years and holds the all-time single-season attack record from her junior year, where she hit at an impressive .433. After her fifth year, she was drafted to the Orlando Valkyries. At the end of her first professional season, she signed a contract with Indy Ignite, where she plays now. She is also an assistant coach for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Avery Skinner (Class of 2021) Skinner, originally from Katy, Texas, joined the Kentucky program in 2017 where she was a standout outside hitter. After recovering from a major knee injury during her junior year in 2019, she led the Wildcats to an NCAA National Championship title during her senior season in 2020. During her senior year, she earned the Miss Wildcat Award, a spot on both the SEC All-Tournament Team and the NCAA All-Tournament team and was an AVCA First-Team All American. After her graduation from Kentucky, she transferred to Baylor University as a 5th-year graduate student. In 2022, she made her debut into professional volleyball with the USA senior national team at the Pan Am Cup, where she won a bronze medal and was named Best Spiker and Best Scorer. She became a USA Women’s National Team standout, and in 2024 she led the team in kills at the Paris Olympics against Italy in the gold-medal match, where the US would take home silver. Skinner now plays professionally overseas with the Italian Serie A1 league for Savino Del Bene Scandicci, where she won a gold medal at the 2025 FIVB Club World Championship. Leah Edmond (Class of 2020) Lexington native Edmond was a four-year starter for the Kentucky Wildcats, and left a huge mark on the program. In only her freshman year, she was named SEC Freshman of the Week eight times, was the AVCA All-Region Freshman of the Year and was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. By her senior year, she had led the Wildcats through the first three years of their nine-year SEC title streak that is ongoing today, won the SEC Player of the Year Award and was a Senior CLASS Award national finalist. Following her graduation, she played professional volleyball overseas at Valencianas de Juncos in Puerto Rico from 2021-22, while spending her off season competing in the Athletes Unlimited league in the US where she won an AU Championship in 2023. In 2024, she was drafted to the PVF to play for Atlanta Vibe, where she plays now. Leah Meyer (Class of 2019) Meyer landed in Kentucky after transferring from Duke as a graduate student. She came to Lexington with many accolades to her name, including being a two-time First Team All-ACC pick, making the All-ACC Freshman Team and being an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. She was a dominant middle blocker who led the team in blocks per set at Kentucky and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Week award. After graduating, Meyer traveled to Romania where she played two years of professional volleyball. She then moved to France where she spent two more years playing professionally before coming back to the US and being drafted by Grand Rapids Rise, where she competes now. Kaz Brown (Class of 2017) Brown came to Kentucky in 2014 from Cedar Falls, Iowa, and immediately proved herself on the court. She made the SEC All-Freshman Team in her first season, then she continued on to be a three-time All-SEC Team player, three time AVCA All-Region player and an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. After graduating in 2017, she went overseas to play professionally in Germany, Ukraine, France and Greece until ultimately making her return to the U.S. in 2022. Upon her arrival back to the United States, she played for Athletes Unlimited until 2025 when she was drafted to the Orlando Valkyries. At Orlando, she is the all-time career blocks holder with 191 blocks, won the 2024 Middle Blocker of the Year award and was a part of the Valkyries MLV championship win in 2025. In January, she will make her debut with the Dallas Pulse. 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