Intensity. Passion. Swagger. Whatever you want to call it, Eva Hudson has it on the volleyball court. Her parents, Stacey and Jeff Hudson – themselves both former college athletes – will tell you she’s always had it. “I knew when she was 5 playing soccer that she had the grit,” recalled S tacey. “She just clenched her little jaw, and you gave her the idea of what to do, and she was like, ‘OK.’ You could see the lights go on.” “I pride myself in the passion and intensity I bring, and I want to show that I truly care for my team and the outcome and all the work we put in,” Hudson told Today’s Catholic. “I guess it comes naturally, because I’ve always been like that in school, in sports, in life in general. It doesn’t just stop on the court.” For Hudson, a 2022 graduate of Bishop Dwenger High School, this competitive spirit isn’t just unmistakable, it’s contagious – and it’s helped her Kentucky Wildcats claim an SEC regular season title, a conference tournament championship, and a No. 2 national ranking. As Kentucky prepares for a run at the ultimate prize of an NCAA title, Hudson continues her ascent as one of the top collegiate volleyball players in the country. The senior was recently crowned SEC Player of the Year and selected as one of 14 semifinalists for the national AVCA Player of the Year award, which will be announced on Friday, December 19. And she’s not done yet. “Being with these girls 24-7 for basically about a year, and all the blood, sweat, and tears that everybody has put into it, it would just be so amazing for every single one of them and the coaching staff [to win a national championship],” Hudson said. “We’re so close off the court, which makes it so easy to play for one another on the court. This coaching staff truly cares about us developing as athletes and as people off the court, and having people that believe in me and have really invested in my future has been a really cool thing.” Provided by the Hudson familyHudson finished her career at Bishop Dwenger High School with more than 1,500 kills and was a two-time all-state selection. A Skillful Saint Though Hudson’s athleticism was apparent from Day 1, she wasn’t always the physically imposing 6-foot-1 outside hitter she is today. When she started playing volleyball at age 11, Stacey remembers Hudson being “actually kind of small for a little while.” And Stacey would know – not only did she play volleyball at Purdue, but she also coached Hudson and her younger sister, Audrey, from fifth through eighth grade at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Fort Wayne. Once she moved on to Bishop Dwenger, Hudson began to stand out in both stature and ability. “She just kept growing when everybody else stopped,” Stacey said. “I think we always knew it was in there, but I would say [the year she turned 15], you were like, ‘OK, here it comes.’ We knew it was coming, but you could really see her explode from a skill level.” Her junior year, Hudson was joined at Dwenger by Audrey, then a freshman. Their two years playing together for the Saints remain a highlight for both sisters, and Audrey said she cherished being Hudson’s “little hype man” at every match. “There’s no other time where people from different age groups get to play on the same team, let alone siblings, so we always talk about how cool that was,” Audrey said. “She has so much fire to bring to the court, and I have a similar personality. There’s a lot of videos of us just pushing each other and getting excited, and it was really fun when our whole family could come and watch both of us together.” Of course, Hudson’s junior season will forever be etched in both of their minds for another reason: capturing the program’s first state title in dramatic fashion. Bishop Dwenger dropped the first two sets to Brebeuf but rallied to win three straight – known as a “reverse sweep” – and overcame three match points in the process. Hudson turned in a historic performance, setting the state finals record for most kills in a five-set match with 33. It’s a memory that she still ranks in her top two moments from her entire athletic career. “I absolutely loved my time at Bishop Dwenger,” Hudson said. “Still to this day, that state championship team is one of my favorite teams I have ever played with. All the memories we made and the obstacles we overcame have truly helped me continue on in my college life, knowing that I can get through stuff like that. I also kind of found my confidence at Bishop Dwenger, especially coming in as a freshman and kind of being on varsity, kind of not, and realizing that I really do love the game of volleyball. And having a base of people around me to help me continue to develop my skills has been super instrumental. I still talk to most of those girls today, which is really comforting.” “Our entire team was super close; those were all of our best friends at the time,” Audrey agreed. “My sister was there, my entire family was there, my mom was helping coach – it was such a cool experience because we got to share it with everybody.” Although the Saints were unable to repeat as state champs in Hudson’s senior season, she still led them to a 30-2 campaign with a conference title. She finished her high school career with more than 1,500 kills and was a two-time all-state selection, as well as the first three-time winner of the Glass Spike Award, given each year to the most outstanding volleyball player in the Summit Athletic Conference. On top of the accolades, Stacey and Jeff credit Hudson’s time at Dwenger with helping to develop her leadership skills and grow as an individual. “The environment of Dwenger for all three of our kids – the fact that it’s Catholic and they’re surrounded by that on a daily basis – is important to all of them,” explained Jeff. “Aside from the athletic part, the school is great, and we’ve been more than blessed for them to go there.” “And God’s part of all of it,” Stacey added. “They pray before every practice, and they do intentions. You’re not being a part of something that’s just about you – it’s a bigger purpose.” A Bold Boilermaker When it came time to select a college, Hudson’s first choice was Notre Dame. However, when a coaching change was made six months before her high school graduation, Hudson decommitted and opted for her original second choice, Purdue – and her impact with the Boilermakers was immediate. Hudson became the first Purdue freshman to ever receive an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She went on to lead the entire Big Ten in total kills in each of her first three collegiate seasons, receiving First Team All-Big Ten honors each year. Hudson also became the fastest Boilermaker to reach 1,000 career kills in the rally scoring era. The national recognition continued, as Hudson was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team in her sophomore and junior seasons. And on top of all that, she helped Purdue improve its record each of her three years in West Lafayette, finishing 27-7 in 2024 and reaching the NCAA regional semifinals twice. Yet, when asked which of her countless accomplishments she is most proud of, Hudson humbly referenced her ability to fight through herniated discs in her spine and encourage others experiencing similar injuries. “I was out for a summer and continuously battling that pain,” Hudson said. “So being able to continue to persevere despite that, and also being able to relate with other people who have had injuries and be able to help them through that and continue to rehab through that, I think has been really important to me. I think that would probably be the one thing I’m pretty proud of.” She’s also not too proud for advice, both in giving it and receiving it. Audrey, now wrapping up her sophomore volleyball season at Wright State, said she loves picking her older sister’s brain since Eva has a leg up on experience. “Being a Division I athlete is so fun, and we’re so blessed to have that, but it can be really difficult sometimes, so I think that’s good to have,” Audrey said of trusted advice. “I can be like, ‘Man, Eva, I’m really burnt out here,’ and she’s like, ‘Yeah, that kind of happens this part of the season; you’ve got to push through.’ Those kind of things are nice to have, because if I didn’t have anyone who related, it would be a lot harder for me to go through.” And although Stacey claims Eva “knows the game better than I do” now, her daughter still turns to her first volleyball coach from time to time. “There have been moments over the years where there are tough emotional things, and I ask her, ‘Do you want me to wear the coach hat, or the mom hat? What do you need from me right now? Do you just need me to love on you and be present, or do you want criticism and feedback?’” said Stacey. “And she’s pretty good about telling me.” A Winning Wildcat At the conclusion of her junior season, Eva made the difficult decision to leave Purdue due to “some behind the scenes things that were not being addressed and not super great for all the players on that team.” She also felt like she was hitting her ceiling there but knew she had more potential if given the tools for further development, so she entered the transfer portal. “What I was looking for in a program was a program that develops their players and knew how to win,” explained Hudson. “Kentucky had recently won a national championship at that point, and I knew [head coach] Craig [Skinner] had won eight SEC titles in a row, so I knew he could develop me into the player I wanted to be and also be surrounded by girls who love the game and wanted the same goals as me. I couldn’t be more grateful. Really, I was fearful of having regrets, and this team has just made it such an amazing experience.” Hudson’s senior season has been one to remember, both individually and as a team. Despite playing against all four of the Final Four teams from 2024, Kentucky is entering the NCAA tournament with a record of 25-2 after capturing a ninth straight SEC title. In the conference-clinching match vs. Oklahoma, Hudson registered her 2,000th career kill, becoming the only active player in Division I volleyball to achieve such a feat. She also set a school record for the most kills in a three-set match with 28 versus Washington. And on Hudson’s senior day in Lexington, the Wildcats swept Arkansas to finish a perfect 15-0 in SEC play. It was an emotional day for all 16 of her extended family members who came to watch, but most of all for Stacey and Jeff, who acknowledged they are blessed to have the flexibility and the means to have been there for every step of the journey. “When I saw the video tribute that the players put together, I just really lost it listening to those girls talk about not just Eva as the player but Eva as the person,” recalled Stacey. “And then watching in the middle of that video, they showed highlights of her playing – it just welled up with emotion about how proud we are of her, but not just the player but the person, and how amazing it’s been going on this journey with her and how blessed we are that we get to be her parents and be part of it.” “It’s been a long journey, even though in the grand scheme of things, it’s relatively short,” said Jeff. “To see her perform at that level so often is pretty amazing, really. She’s in a select few who can do that.” “My parents come to basically every match they can,” Hudson glowed. “I know at Purdue, they were basically at every single game because it was super close, and they could get there in one day and back. At Kentucky, they’re here almost every weekend, honestly … I couldn’t do it without them. Both sets of grandparents are always at every game or texting me after, and it’s just so special.” For Audrey, who attended Eva’s senior day and watches as many of her matches as possible, it’s equally gratifying. “It’s crazy when I’m watching her on TV, and I’m like, ‘That’s my sister!’ We used to fight over clothes growing up, and now she’s on national TV and on her way – hopefully – to a national title, fingers crossed,” Audrey said. “I’m really proud of her, and being on the inside and knowing her so well, I know how hard she works every day for this, and it’s 100 percent deserved. I don’t know anyone who works harder.” The hard work was on display in Savannah, Georgia, the following week, where Eva and her teammates plowed through the conference tournament. The Wildcats capped off their run on Tuesday, November 25, with a reverse sweep of No. 3 Texas in which they fought off three championship points – just like her Saints did to win the 2020 state championship. Naturally, Hudson led the way versus the Longhorns with 25 kills. Eva Hudson poses with her family during Senior Day at the University of Kentucky. A Faithful Follower Throughout her career, faith has been a constant for Hudson, especially amid the challenges that come with being a high-level athlete. First, there’s the time commitment – not just practices and games but travel, film sessions, and post-practice treatments. Then, there’s the academic strain – repeatedly missing class for travel, communicating with professors constantly, and maintaining a GPA to remain eligible. And don’t forget the constant expectations to perform under pressure, both from outside voices and from social media, where judgments and misinformation run rampant. The antidote to all of this, Hudson has found, is keeping a firm grasp of the Lord’s hand. “It’s that underlying calmness,” Jeff said of Hudson’s faith. “She’s been through some tough times. I mean, obviously, she’s been very successful, but there’s been a lot of bumps in the road, and you hope that your faith helps you deal with those bumps – not get too high with the highs and not get too low with the lows in life. To have that sense of security with her faith is great.” Hudson added: “My freshman year, I kind of struggled with questions about the faith. Especially being on your own at first; it’s a little scary. But I was able to find a community at one of the local Catholic churches, and it has truly just brought a peace to me. When I have a bad game, I know that I can always rely on Him and that it’s OK. My sense of self is not based on a performance, and I think that’s really hard sometimes, especially when your life revolves around a sport.” Stacey said she’s been able to see the ways in which faith has given Hudson grounding and understanding, since she knows that God is always there for her. “She really depends on the Holy Spirit to guide her in her prayer life,” Stacey said. “And she’s very patient about waiting for what she believes are the answers to what she’s been asking for and praying about. I’ve been very impressed with her as a young adult still depending on her faith and actually living it and walking with it.” Kentucky has even provided an environment for living this faith, one that Hudson and her teammates have taken advantage of. “My team here at Kentucky, before every game, we do a little Bible study together,” said Hudson. “We really bonded through that, and one of our assistant coaches leads that and does a little reflection. I think it really gives a calm to everybody to know that there’s a bigger purpose and let God do His thing.” Hudson, center, celebrates with her teammates after winning a point during the Senior Day match vs. Arkansas. A Promising Pro With Hudson’s talent and drive, there’s no telling how far her volleyball career will take her. She has plans to play professionally after college, with a goal of one day qualifying for the U.S. Olympic volleyball squad. Eva has already gotten a taste of representing her country as a part of the 2024 U.S. Women’s National Team, in which collegiate players from across the country competed at the NORCECA Pan American Cup in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The United States defeated Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico before falling to the Olympic-qualified Dominican Republic team in the gold medal match. “International volleyball is just a whole different level,” Hudson said of playing in the Dominican Republic. “The crowd was absolutely nuts – I couldn’t even hear my coach in a huddle; he had to do sign language just to get any sort of information out. It was just so cool to be able to play in an atmosphere like that and feel that crazy energy, but also to be on a team where that didn’t faze us, and we continued to lean on one another when times got hard. … Being able to compete with USA on your chest is just a different honor that I can’t even explain.” First, however, Hudson has one final run as a Wildcat – one final push for an NCAA title. Kentucky opens the tournament as the No. 2 overall seed, hosting Wofford in an opening round match on Thursday, December 4. Time to dial up the intensity one last time. “You can see, when you watch her play, the ticked-off Eva, the angry Eva,” Stacey noted. “You just see there’s a switch that goes on. And she’s always competitive, but she has another level. A lot of people can say they’re competitive in how they’re ticked off by the last play or whatever, but then they don’t play better. And she can play better, which is amazing to me, because everyone’s like, ‘Oh, there’s the Eva with the swagger.’ You see it coming.” Over the years, many have seen it coming. Few have been able to stop it. Swagger away, Eva. The post Dwenger Grad Flies High in College appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less