Kentucky at Alabama

Recap

The Big Storyline: Alabama continues to surge in the rankings after winning its home opener against Kentucky. Freshman Lilly Hudson impressed in her all around debut, snagging two event titles. 

Implications: After a sluggish start, the Crimson Tide have proved that they’re still one of the teams to beat in the SEC. The Wildcats kept pace with Alabama through three rotations, but were ultimately felled by struggles on beam. Junior Raena Worley continues to be a standout all arounder, posting her second consecutive 39.6+ score.  

Records: Alabama junior Dogette earned a career-high 9.925 on vault.

Controversies: True to SEC type, the floor judging got a little “lax,” shall we say, in the final rotation. While the team results weren’t affected, the individual rankings arguably were.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 9 Kentucky at No. 10 Alabama

Why You Should Clear Space on Your DVR: Kentucky had a rocky start to its season in terms of meet cancellations or shakeups, but it found a way to make a mark against Ball State. The Wildcats find themselves ranked above Alabama heading into week three. However, it’s early on in the season, and rankings are not necessarily indicative of the capabilities of these teams. Alabama will be coming into this meet with redemption on its mind after narrowly losing to Florida in week two.

You Can Fast Forward, but not Through This: Bailey Bunn was one of the most consistent performers for Kentucky in her freshman year in 2021 but had some uncharacteristic errors last week. Bunn’s ability to bounce back is vital to Kentucky’s success. Alabama Freshman Lilly Hudson has a gorgeous double twist on floor that should not be missed. Upperclassmen Makarri Doggette and Lexi Graber have the potential to score big on vault with nice amplitude on their Yurchenko one and a halfs.