I am really excited about this one! Kentucky and Missouri aren’t the flashiest teams in the SEC, but they are certainly the steadiest: Neither team has dipped below the mid-196 mark so far this season, and have plenty of room (and depth) for improvement. Both teams are pushing for a coveted spot in the evening session at SEC championships, although—as the Tigers proved during their historic 2022 run—that’s not a requirement for postseason success.
Perennial bubble team Kentucky has come oh so close to making nationals several seasons in a row now, but all signs point to this year being different. The Wildcats are coming off of their best score in program history and are an impressive 3-0 in conference.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are doing what they do best—grinding. They don’t have a lineup’s worth of 10.0 SV vaults like Kentucky, but they can more than make up the difference in the final two rotations (especially with a home crowd cheering them on). Missouri has yet to crack 197 so far this season, but that feels more like a question of “when” than “if,” particularly with star sophomore Amari Celestine back in action.
Former Florida great Kennedy Baker is making her commentary debut!
