Fresh off an upset of No. 1 Oklahoma, LSU enters this weekend with momentum—but nothing is guaranteed in the SEC, where upsets have become a near-weekly occurrence. Kentucky also holds the home-floor advantage, adding another layer of unpredictability to this matchup.
The Wildcats come in hot, having posted three straight 197+ scores. Despite a younger roster, they’ve showcased both difficulty and consistency, positioning themselves as serious contenders. Keep an eye on the vault lineup: Ryan Noonan brings a unique entry, while Skylar Killough-Wilhelm has been sticking her Yurchenko one and a half.
LSU remains the only team in the country with two scores over 198 this season, but its road performances have been less convincing—barely edging No. 17 Alabama and falling to No. 14 Arkansas in its last two away meets. Beam will likely be the deciding factor; a clean rotation could seal the win for the Tigers. LSU will also be feeling the absence of senior Chase Brock after her injury last weekend, but with a deep, talented roster, the Tigers have shown they’re more than capable of rising to the occasion.
Rotation 1: Kentucky VT, LSU UB
Rizo (UK): Yurchenko full, great pop off the table. A medium hop back and some pike down at the end. 9.725
Zeiss (LSU): Toe hand, Maloney, pak salto. Feet right together. Great HS at the end there. FTDT. Looked pretty stuck to me. Great hit to open the meet. 9.875
Noonan (UK): Yurchenko half on, tuck half off. Some mild foot flexing in the air. A scoot back. Nice one.
Cowan (LSU): Ray to overshoot, smooth connection. Great turn over. Right to HS on high. Double layout, feet glued. Landing stuck. WOW. LSU is swinging for the fences tonight. 9.875
Wilson (UK): FHS front pike half, hang time went CRAZY. Absolutely drilled the landing. Where is John Roethlisberger to say something about a toothpick in a club sandwich? 9.900
Jeffrey (LSU): Toe hand, Maloney, overshoot to hand. Some wiggling in the HS on the overshoot catch. FTDT is gigantic, but not quite rotated enough. A hop forward.
Magnelli (UK): FHS front pike half. Also stuck. My word. Not quite as much distance as Wilson. 9.925
Chio (LSU): Maloney, overshoot. A touch choppy but fine. FTDT is stuck, a little chest low. 9.875
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): A touch under on the full and a half today, but able to adjust well with just a scoot back. 9.825
McClain (LSU): Church to pak. Great height on the release. FTDT a small step back. Handstands were pristine. 9.850
Rodriguez (UK): Stuck Yurchenko layout full. EEK. Could’ve been a bit more dynamic off the table to avoid the pike down. 9.800
Bryant (LSU): She’s back! Blind, Jaeger. Textbook. A little over on the HS. Overshoot. Blind, double front half, mildly undercooked with a step forward. 9.850
After 1: LSU 49.325, Kentucky 49.125
While collecting no 9.9+ scores in rotation one, the Tigers’ bar lineup did feature the return of Haleigh Bryant for the first time since injuring her elbow at the beginning of the season. Kentucky went lights out of vault, sticking three-of-six vaults to keep things close.
Rotation 2: LSU VT, Kentucky UB
Johnson (LSU): Yurchenko full, great pop off the table. Didn’t quite get it all the way around and had to hop in place. 9.725
Rivelli (UK): Blind, Jaeger, overshoot. Loose on the last catch, but controlled. Last HS was short. A small step forward on the DLO dismount. 9.750
Finnegan (LSU): Yurchenko one and a half, a baby step backward. Some piking in the air. 9.850
Rizo (UK): Blind change, Jaeger. Nice turn over. Overshoot to hand. Some pike shape on the last HS. Double layout, some knee give and a step forward. 9.775
Lincoln (LSU): Yurchenko full and a half, flared it open, but had to take a medium hop forward. 9.800
Davis (UK) Blind, Jaeger. Elastigirl arms. Overshoot. Good las HS. Double layout and a scooch back. 9.850
Drayton (LSU): Yurchenko one and a half. Hop and a step out. 9.725
Procasky (UK): Toe hand, Maloney, pak salto. Some loss of leg form. Double layout is absolutely hit. Yes ma’am. 9.800
Chio (LSU): Yurchenko one and a half, H-I-T. Right around and stuck. Clutch freshman in action. 9.925
Rodriguez (UK): Kentucky has not won in Lexington since 2017? Ok Cats. Tkatchev. Right around. Clear hip, overshoot. So tight. So steady. Dynamic HS positions. Double layout is stuck, a small hip rise to hold onto it. 9.875
Bryant (LSU): FHS front pike half, opened up at the end to spot the ground. A slide back. 9.900
Killough-Wilhem (UK): Blind, piked Jaeger to overshoot. Reached for that release move. Quite a bit short on the DLO dismount there with a step forward. 9.850
After 2: LSU 98.525, Kentucky 98.325
LSU left some major tenths on the table with those vault landings. Chio and Bryant ended the rotation with a bang putting on stellar performances to propel the Tigers into rotation three. Kentucky also had some landing mishaps in that rotation, but strong handstands and form throughout each routines allowed the Wildcats post a strong team total.
Rotation 3: Kentucky BB, LSU FX
Rodriguez (UK): Switch leap, split jump. So calm. BHS, BHS LOSO. Right on the money. A smile. Side somi. She’s killing this. RO back one and a half, stuck with a hip rise to hold. Great lead off routine. 9.800
Lincoln (LSU): Double layout has my jaw on the floor. Literally could’ve stuck if she didn’t feel like gracing us with the lunge. Switch leap, tour jete full. Snapped right around. Front lay, front full. A little lock-legged on the landing. If I’m being picky, I’d point out the slight piking in her shaping on the front pass. 9.875
Brose (UK): Front tuck. Easy money. Soft smiles. Front toss, BHS. Switch leap, beat. Not quite 180 in the back leg. RO back one and a half. Saw her spot the ground and stuck. 9.925
Ballard (LSU): A little hair whip to begin. Double layout, nice control. Some mild leg form in the air. Switch half right to 180. Back one and a half, front layout. Could’ve had a touch more control. 9.825
Lee (UK): BHS BHS LOSO. Worked it out. Deep breaths. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. RO back one and a half with a crossed step forward. 9.750
Chio (LSU): FTDT nearly stuck. Back two and a half, front tuck. Such a hard pass. Performed it like it was easy. 9.850
Bennett (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO, right to the end. Flirted with the end and had to take a small wobble. Cat leap, front aerial. A small check. Switch leap, beat jump. Not quite 180. Gainer back pike off the end, a step back. 9.750
Drayton (LSU): Double layout was shy of rotation, just a step. Switch ring, switch half. Great head release on the ring. Front through to double tuck, pulled the chest up at the end. 9.875
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Front aerial, BHS LOSO. On it. Sharp arms on the landing. Switch leap, beat. Strong shaping. Side aerial, one and a half dismount. A hop forward. 9.900
Finnegan (LSU): Arabian double front, flirted with the OOB line on the stag leap out of it. I think she stayed in this week? Switch ring, tour jete half. A smile and a crown. Back two and a half, front tuck. Great control, danced right out. 9.775, indeed was OOB upon further review with a better camera angle.
Magnelli (UK): BHS LOSO LOSO. Sharp arms save the day. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. Some loss of toe point on the second jump. Front aerial. Right on. Gainer pike off the end. Amazing set from her. Should be a big score. 9.950
Bryant (LSU): Tucked double front. Like it’s hard? Leap amplitude is out of this world. LOSO to fulfill the backward skill composition requirement. Front layout, Rudi connection pass to finish. Hopefully LSU’s first 9.9+? 9.900
After 3: LSU 147.850, Kentucky 147.650
Officially renaming Kentucky Triple Series University. Name another beam team with more difficulty, I’ll wait. Rotation three was a wash with no team impacting the lead, LSU maintaining a two-tenth lead heading into the last rotation. The Tigers needed to get a couple more 9.9s to feel comfortable moving onto beam, but we shall see if the LSU beam squad can hang with a dynamic, feisty Kentucky floor team at home.
Rotation 4: LSU BB, Kentucky FX
Ballard (LSU): BHS LOSO. Easy peasy. Deep breaths. Sissone, switch half. Not quite high enough on the front leg for me. Front toss. Stuck. Well controlled. RO double full. Let her hips rise too early and couldn’t hang onto the stick. Step forward. 9.850
Rodriguez (UK): Rudi back layout. A unique combo pass there. Switch ring, tour jete half. Could have more amplitude. The clock is ticking so stay. Double tuck. A scoot back into the lunge. She’s confident! Back one and a half, front half, straddle jump. Strong finish. 9.825
Coen (LSU): Front aerial, beat jump. Strong start. BHS LOSO. Good fight for the no wobble. Switch leap, split jump. Right to position. RO double full dismount. A sizable step back on that one.
Magnelli (UK): Rudi, LOSO. Some leg crossing in the twist. Not quite around on the leap, finessed. Great straddle shaping, though. Double pike, pulled it around. I’m gonna pop some tags. The Kentucky floor music is giving me great joy right now. 9.875
Chio (LSU): RO BHS mount. BHS LOSO. Sharp. Switch leap, split jump. Front aerial, split jump. Yes. It’s casual. BHS, back one and a half dismount. Stick city, population Kailin Chio. 9.925
Procasky (UK): Front lay, front full to open. Switch ring, tour jete full. Not quite enough split position on the tour jete, had to rush it around. Double tuck, short with a step forward. The Raena Worley Cam in the corner was a wild touch by production. 9.775
McClain (LSU): Switch leap, switch half, split jump. So lovely. A breath of fresh air. Front aerial, BHS. Mild softness in the knees on the BHS. Wolf jump, her signature. As she should. Gainer full, not quite held on the stick, likely will get that “you didn’t count to three seconds before saluting” deduction. 9.825
Killough-Wilhelm (UK): Front double full, a little cross over on the step out. The first opening E pass for Kentucky. Switch leap, switch half ring. Back one and a half, front layout. Legs right together. 9.850
Bryant (LSU): Front aerial, BHS. A veteran. Around the side. Switch leap, straddle 1/4. Could’ve absorbed more, had to finesse with an arm swing. Punch front from a stand, small lean. Rudi with a small hop. 9.850
Brose (UK): Double pike, chest nice and high. Tour jete half, split full. Front full, front layout. Great shape and extension in the air. Strutting her stuff to prep for the last pass. Front double full. Ending with an E is crazy hard. 9.950
Finnegan (LSU): BHS LOSO LOSO. Right to the lunge. Switch leap, split jump. Front aerial, sharp. She’s eating this up. Gainer full, just a step back. 9.900
Davis (UK): Rock on. Double pike, a fidget on the lunge. Switch side half, straddle half? Not really sharp with positions on the turn. Back one and a half, front lay. Yes. Great amplitude on both flips there. Double tuck was a smidge short but finessed into the lunge. 9.925
FINAL: LSU 197.200, Kentucky 197.075
A tight matchup to the last routine, as expected! Chio and Finnegan brought things home for the Tigers on beam, while Creslyn Brose and Hailey Davis slayed the floor game to earn a score worthy of upping Kentucky’s NQS. While LSU’s score will allow it to drop its sub-197 from Arkansas earlier this season, the Tigers were likely looking for a touch more from a strong away score.
VT: Kailin Chio (LSU) & Isabella Magnelli (Kentucky), 9.925
UB: Kailin Chio (LSU), Ashley Cowan (LSU), Delaynee Rodriguez (Kentucky) & Lexi Zeiss (LSU), 9.875
BB: Isabella Magnelli (Kentucky), 9.950
FX: Creslyn Brose (Kentucky), 9.950
AA: Kailin Chio (LSU), 39.575
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Live blog by Tavia Smith
