Leah Edmond

Personal: Edmond graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in elementary education. Her father, Corey, is the director of performance for the football team at the University of Kentucky. She has a German shepherd named Luna. If not for her volleyball career, she might have pursued a path as a teacher or commentator. Her childhood interests included gymnastics in addition to volleyball. Outside of volleyball, Edmond enjoys traveling, eating, and spending time with her dog. She also has a passion for baking.

2023 Season: Edmond participated in the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Exhibition Tour in 2023.

2022 Season: During the 2022 season of Athletes Unlimited, Edmond continued to showcase her talent and prowess. She secured the sixth place on the leaderboard with 2,957 points, appearing in 13 matches and participating in 39 sets. Her attacking skills propelled her to the third position in the league with 172 kills. Among the league leaders, she ranked fifth with 435 attack attempts. Notably, Edmond's performances in the latter part of the season were exceptional, evidenced by her ten double-digit kill performances in the last 11 appearances, including a remarkable streak of five consecutive matches. Her versatility is showcased by her role in reception attempts, concluding the season as the fourth player in the league with 299 reception attempts. Her impressive stats and impact translated into season-high points, with 30 or more attempts accomplished five times over the final eight matches. A standout moment in her season was her career-high performance of 19 kills with minimal attack errors and a noteworthy .386 hitting percentage on March 26, earning her the MVP honors for the second time during the season. Her prowess shone in the Week Two opener against Team Drews, where she posted her first double-double of the season with 15 kills and 11 digs, securing the MVP 3 notice. The momentum continued as she opened Week Three with a remarkable 18 kills and 12 digs against Team Lowe on March 30, securing a season-high of 360 leaderboard points. Demonstrating her consistency, she recorded her third double-double of the year against Team De La Cruz in Week Four, tallying 15 kills with 10 digs. Her impressive streak was highlighted by two matches of 200 or more leaderboard points at the start of Week Four, with 243 points against Team Drews and 224 points against Team De La Cruz on April 8. The season concluded with a strong performance of 278 leaderboard points against Team Drews on April 15, where she contributed 14 kills, a .265 hitting percentage, along with seven digs and two blocks.

2021 Season: In her inaugural season as a professional in 2021, Edmond showcased her capabilities as she participated in all 15 matches and 45 sets. She ranked 15th on the leaderboard with 2,440 points, underscoring her consistent impact. Within the league, she secured the sixth position with 123 kills, and her defensive abilities were evident as she tied for the eighth spot with 22 blocks. Her performance in the season opener against Team Cruz was notable, notching 14 kills along with six digs and two blocks, accumulating 420 leaderboard points. A standout match occurred on March 15 against Team Nwanebu, where she tallied a season-high of 16 kills accompanied by nine digs. Another noteworthy performance was recorded on March 7 against Team De La Cruz, with 16 digs and 11 kills. Her defensive capabilities were evident as she contributed 15 digs against Team Larson on March 6. In a match against Team Lowe on March 8, she showcased her blocking prowess by registering five blocks.

Other Professional Experience: During the 2021-22 season, Leah Edmond played for Valencianas de Juncos in Puerto Rico, gaining valuable professional experience before returning to Athletes Unlimited.

At Kentucky: Edmond's collegiate career at Kentucky was marked by numerous accolades and standout performances. She was a four-time AVCA All-America and All-Region selection, earning First Team commendations twice. Additionally, she received two AVCA Southeast Region Player of the Year honors. Her accolades extended to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), where she was named the SEC Player of the Year as a junior and senior. Throughout her four-year college career, Edmond consistently earned First-Team All-SEC honors. In her debut season, she was named the SEC Rookie of the Year and was a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team. Edmond's impact on the Kentucky program was profound. She became the Wildcats' all-time leader with 1,978 kills and 4,655 attack attempts. She also holds several school records, including the rally scoring era record with 539 kills during her sophomore season and 40 service aces in 2017, ranking third on the school's rally scoring single-season list. Her career was marked by exceptional consistency and performance, with 114 matches featuring 10 or more kills and 69 matches with 15 or more kills. Edmond's offensive prowess was complemented by her defensive abilities, as she fashioned a school-record seven matches with 25 or more kills.