Kentucky Wildcats’ NCAA dreams have been demolished and things look grimmer for the SEC powerhouse. After being handed a resounding defeat by the Arkansas Razorbacks at the NCAA regional semifinals, a senior Wildcat seeks to end her time at Kentucky and has gone up on the transfer portal. With the recent development, the Kentucky women’s volleyball team might need to recalibrate its bearings.

In a recent post on social media, Reagan Rutherford has been announced to have entered the transfer portal ahead of the 2024 season. As part of the Kentucky volleyball team, Rutherford has won the 2020 National Championship. She will also leave the Wildcats as a four-time Southeastern Conference champion. And now, she eyes uncharted waters as the next step in her collegiate career.

Kentucky star looks for a new squad

The official College Volleyball Transfers account on X (formerly Twitter) revealed Rutherford’s apparent wish to head over to a new college. With 8 kills and 3 digs, Rutherford had been crucial to the Wildcats’ first-round win at the NCAA nationals against Wofford. Rutherford once again played a pivotal role in their second-round match against Baylor with 14 kills. However, now as she looks to find herself a new home, the Kentucky Wildcats will have to buckle up for the next season.

In her current, and possibly last season, Rutherford was voted to the All-SEC team for the third time thanks to her impressive stats. The outside hitter averaged 3.47 kills per set in her 78 set appearances with 1.53 digs per set and 0.90 blocks per set this season. As Rutherford seeks to leave Kentucky, the Wildcats’ head coach Craig Skinner only has good things to say about the hitter.

“She has embodied all that is has meant to be a Wildcat both on and off the floor and leaves our program a national champion“, said Skinner. Rutherford’s former coach also thanked her for her contributions to the Wildcats and time at Lexington and wished Reagan all the best for her future.

Wildcats continue nurturing top-tier talent

As one celebrity Wildcat looks to leave Kentucky for the next season, another former Wildcat alum recently made her triumphant return to the Kentucky campus. After an incredible performance at the 2023 Athletes Unlimited, Leah Edmond was recently met with jubilant celebrations as she made her way back to her alma mater.

Read more: Texas Longhorns Volleyball Star Shakes Up the Organization With a Bold Move Amidst Their Recent NCAA Round 2 Win

In a social media post captioned “Welcome home, Champ“, the Kentucky volleyball account expressed the feeling of every Wildcat as they celebrated Edmond ending the season at the top of the leaderboard. Now, it waits to be seen what the future holds for the other former Wildcat as Rutherford waits to settle down at a new camp.

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