By LARRY VAUGHT
It’s not a stretch to say that Trinity Ward was destined to play volleyball at the University of Kentucky.
The Louisville Holy Cross junior recently gave her verbal commitment to UK coach Craig Skinner.
“I know it will be a long two years before I can play there. I want to enjoy my next two years of high school but I can’t wait to get down there and start going after it,” Ward, 16, said. “It’s always been my dream to play at Kentucky and I just knew there was no use waiting any longer to make my college choice.”
Her grandparents have season tickets to football, basketball and volleyball at Kentucky.
“I have always been around UK games with my grandma and grandpa,” Ward said. “I have been a Kentucky fan my whole life and that certainly did influence Kentucky being my choice because I love Kentucky. I looked at other schools but it was always UK for me since I was a little child.”
However, she had plenty of other UK connections.
— She took lessons from Jackie Napper, the 2014 Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year at Kentucky her senior season. The Louisville native was the second person Ward, who is also a libero, took lessons from and Napper posted a video of Ward at age 8 telling UK coach Craig Skinner she should be his next recruit. When Ward committed, Napper reposted the video.
— When she was in grade school just framed a picture of her jump serving and also one of four-time UK All-American Leah Edmond, who was also a two-time SEC player of the year, jump serving. Edmond eventually autographed the photo for her.
— Ward has known McKenzie Watson, another UK libero from Louisville who was on two SEC championship teams, since she was little because Watson’s mother worked where Ward got her hair cut.
— She went to UK volleyball camps and even though she was not old enough to stay in the dorms, she got to be around Kentucky players and coach Craig Skinner. “I think that was in 2018 or 2019 and I knew then I was going to Kentucky. Craig and I just always got along really well,” she said.
Ward started playing softball at age 4 and went to the World Series in Jacksonville with a team from Germantown when she was about 12. However, her older sister played volleyball and influenced her to try that sport at age 8. She also ran cross country and track.
“Eventually I had to pick one sport because I was traveling from state to state trying to play volleyball and softball,” the Holy Cross junior said.
She describes herself as an energetic, resilient player who never gives up or stops encouraging her teammates — all traits that Skinner values at UK.
“I love to win and will do anything to win,” she said. “I love to be around people, I am very social. Whenever I am playing I always think of it as a team sport and there is no I in team. Everyone is included in some type of role on a team.
“I am super big on team culture. I love to hang out with teammates on and off the court. Those teammates drove me to love volleyball and I can’t wait to be part of the great program at Kentucky.”
Recent Kentucky quarterback commit Stone Saunders says he does not worry about statistics even though he’s already compiled see amazing numbers going into his junior season at McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pa. He threw for 3,583 yards and 54 touchdowns while completing 195 of 284 passes with only five interceptions during a state championship season in 2022.
As a freshman in 2021, he completed 146 of 230 passes for 3,037 yards and 46 touchdowns. He has thrown for 100 touchdowns and 6,620 yards with only nine interceptions on 514 pass attempts.
“I do not worry about stats. I just keep working,” the 6-2, 215-pound Saunders said. “Records will probably come. I think I am about 50 away from the all-time Pennsylvania (career) touchdown (passing) record but I just worry about getting better every day.”
The all-time record in Kentucky is 144 by Elijah Singular of Caldwell County from 2011-14. Former UK quarterback Tim Couch, the No. 1 pick in the 1999 NFL draft, had 133 at Leslie County from 1992-95. Only 25 players in state history have ever thrown 100 TD passes — and Saunders has that going into his junior year.
“Tim is a great dude. The last time I was down (to Lexington) I talked to him a little bit,” Saunders said.
Saunders is the No. 20 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class according to the 247 Sports Composite. Rivals and ESPN both have him as a four-star recruit. One of his teammates this year will be receiver Rico Scott, an Alabama commit. Another receiver, tight end Nick Slogik, is committed to East Carolina. Last year he played with seniors who will play at South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Minnesota this season.
“I know this sounds arrogant but I worry about him getting bored on some level with two more years of high school,” Steve Saunders, Stone’s father, said. “But we are on Cloud Nine about him committing to Kentucky and just breathing a sigh of relief that he can get ready for the season with no recruiting distractions.”
Numerous national analysts have talked/written about Kentucky having the best group of receivers that it may have ever had led by star sophomores Barion Brown and Dane Key. That’s why it was a bit surprising when coach Mark Stoops said at UK Media Day that one position where he had concerns was receiver.
“I think if there’s any one position where we’re down a little bit in numbers right now, it’s wideout. I think you all know the skill that we have there, some of the talent we haven’t had in a while. We have some really good players there,” Stoops said.
“But that opens up the opportunity for others to leave (via the transfer portal). It kind of hurts your depth a little bit, so we gotta watch that position a little.”
Offensive coordinator Liam Coen said Tayvion Robinson, a Virginia Tech transfer last season, needs a “big training camp for him to truly take the next step” up this season. Coen also said sophomore Dekel Crowdus and true freshman Anthony Brown could be important receivers.
“Those are three guys, if they step up and can be held accountable, then we have five receivers we can trust,” Coen said.
Kentucky won 10 games in 2021 with Coen as offensive coordinator. Wan’Dale Robinson had a school-record 104 catches for 1,334 yards and seven scores. However, the only other consistent receiving threat that year was Josh Ali.
“I think we are in a good spot this year. We have got to utilize the tight ends more (than in 2021). We have got to use the running backs to spread out the wealth and targets so it is just not Barion and Dane,” Coen said.
The offensive coordinator certainly indicated that tight ends will be a much bigger part of the offense this season.
“Similar to most years I know they are well coached (by Vince Marrow). They know exactly what they are doing. They don’t make mistakes,” Coen said. “We have a more diverse room. There are things they will be asked to do in the run game and pass game. We might even spread some out wide. They are good blockers but we can utilize them in the pass game to create mismatches.”
Jack Givens was part of Kentucky’s 1978 national championship team that was sometimes criticized for being too intense and not having enough fun because of its quest to win the national title.
Givens, the 1978 Final Four most outstanding player, already has picked his favorite player on John Calipari’s 2023-24 team — sophomore Adou Thiero.
“He is my favorite and it goes back to last year,” said Givens. “Getting to watch practice is a blessing and I like to see guys who compete when the TV cameras are not on. I like guys who compete when they are just in the gym and the coaches screaming. He is that type of guy.”
Thiero has added weight/muscle to where he could probably play anywhere from point guard to power forward this season. Calipari even said during UK’s four games in Toronto in July that Thiero might be able to defend the post in certain situations with his length, athleticism and size.
“I am glad to see he is stronger and bigger. A lot of times a player will put on muscle and lose a step (of quickness) but he seems to have gotten even quicker,” Givens said. “Those quick moves and quick decisions are what enables him to get a timely offensive rebound.”
Givens understands how talented UK’s overall roster is but thinks Thiero is going to be a regular in the rotation.
“The little things he does is what keeps him in the lineup and is going to make it hard not to have him on the floor for a large part of the game,” Givens said. “He has been a joy to watch because of his improvement.
“He did not shoot well (in Canada). Last year he shot the 3 in practice and games very well. Maybe it’s his increased upper body strength that affected his shooting a little but with time he will get that back to add to all the other little things he does.
Glasgow receiver Rico Crowder had several NAIA scholarship offers when he earned a preferred walk-on offer from UK and quickly said yes.
“I knew I could go to one of those smaller schools and maybe be a star but I want to learn from and compete against people much better than me to make me better. I know I may not play my first or second year but I am willing to play anywhere to get on the field.”
The 6-4 1/2, 200-pound Crowder continuously works to gain weight and muscle. He gets up at 4:30 a.m. to work out and stretch. He’s been eating healthier and most days either runs two miles at the high school track or through town for his cardio work.
He already knows Kentucky sophomore receiver Dane Key. He met him during high school team workouts.
“There is a group chat with a bunch of us and we just clicked,” Crowder said.
He also knows Lexington Christian Academy quarterback Cutter Boley, a UK commit.
“We will both graduate in December and be there (at UK) in January,” Crowder said.
He had only 11 catches for 213 yards last year but seven of his catches went for touchdowns. He also ran 34 times for 225 yards — almost seven yards per carry — and scored three more times in 11 games.
“This year will be totally different. Last year we had a great running back and ran the Wing-T. This year I will get the ball a lot more in our offense,” Crowder said.
Crowder also plays basketball — he averaged 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season — and runs track at Glasgow.
Quote of the Week: “This is a group that has a chip on their shoulders. They know what we lost and know people view the position as a question mark. I am proud of how they have worked this summer and they need to continue that,” Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White on UK’s secondary.
Quote of the Week 2: “He is a very natural leader. He doesn’t overdo it. He still wants to work and take care of his own backyard, ultimately finding his voice and finding that leadership role to whatever level it goes to. It will happen authentically in time,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on quarterback Devin Leary.
Quote of the Week 3: “You will see a bigger sack total when it comes to those guys. We’ve worked really hard on it. It’s not like we haven’t (in the past), but we’ve got to keep working. If you don’t use it, you lose it,” UK defensive line coach Anwar Stewart on UK getting more quarterback sacks in 2023.