Kentucky volleyball score, Wisconsin vs UK NCAA Tournament game

• Kentucky volleyball defeated Wisconsin in a five-set thriller to advance to the NCAA Tournament National Championship.
• The Wildcats will face Texas A&M for the national title, their second championship appearance since winning in 2020-21.
• Eva Hudson led Kentucky with 29 kills, while Brooklyn DeLeye had 15 kills and a team-high five blocks.

Coverage from the match:

Kentucky volleyball won Brooklyn DeLeye’s heart. Star embraces journey

KANSAS CITY, MO — Top-seeded Kentucky volleyball defeated third-seeded Wisconsin in a five-set thriller Thursday at the T-Mobile Center to advance to the NCAA Tournament National Championship.

Eva Hudson led the Wildcats in kills with 29. Brooklyn DeLeye led the team in blocks (five). And Kassie O’Brien led UK with 54 assists.

Kentucky will battle No. 3 Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri, for a national championship title. It’ll be UK’s second championship match and first since it won in 2020-21.

Coverage during the match:

The Wildcats will take on Texas A&M in an all-SEC national title game. Hudson led the Wildcats with 29 kills, followed by DeLeye with 15.

The Wildcats are on a 4-0 run courtesy of two Hudson kills, an ace by freshman Trinity Ward and a huge block from Carr and O’Brien.

A little bonus volleyball for all the folks at home. Hudson is up to 23 kills, followed by DeLeye’s 11 and Carr and Thigpen with eight each. The Wildcats defense is keeping them in this one despite hitting .231 on the match.

Set 5 is first to 15 winning by a margin of two.

UK is on a 5-0 run. Star outsides Hudson and DeLeye both have double-digit kills now, with 18 and 10, respectively. Carr has eight, and Thigpen has seven.

This is a must-win set for the Wildcats.

The Badgers had 21 kills and four errors in the set compared with the Wildcats’ 16 and two. Wisconsin ended the frame on a 3-0 run. It is now one set away from the national championship match.

The Badgers are on a 3-0 run. Colyer has a match-high 17 kills. Wisconsin is hitting .625 this set compared with Kentucky at .364.

Hudson came alive this set with six kills, including three of Kentucky’s last four in the set. She has nine total. DeLeye and Carr each have four.

The Wildcats are still struggling to get their offense in a rhythm, hitting .158 this set and .091 for the match. But they’re holding the Badgers to less production (.333 and 10 kills compared to .682 and 15 kills in the first).

The Badgers hit a whopping .682 as a team in that set, while the Wildcats hit .056. Wisconsin had no attacking errors either, siding out 100%. DeLeye and Hudson have only combined for five kills on 21 total attempts.

The Wildcats are staring down their largest deficit of the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin is holding UK to just .211 hitting percentage. The Badgers, meanwhile, are hitting a perfect 1.000, led by Colyer’s five kills.

The Wildcats have had trouble getting their offense going early. Meanwhile the Badgers are hitting 1.000, with Carter Booth and Mimi Colyer a perfect 4 for 4 and 3 for 3, respectively.

UK’s two kills have come from outside Brooklyn DeLeye (1 for 3) and setter Kassie O’Brien (1 for 1). The 3-0 run by Wisconsin prompted Skinner to call a timeout.

The Aggies’ sweep of Pitt marks their second upset of a No. 1 seed in a row after defeating Nebraska in the Elite Eight. If Kentucky defeats Wisconsin, the Wildcats and Aggies will face off Sunday in the national championship match.

The match will start about 30 minutes after the first national semifinal between No. 1 seed Pitt and No. 3 seed Texas A&M concludes. That match is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Buy Kentucky volleyball tickets here

No. 1 seed Kentucky vs. No. 3 seed Wisconsin will be broadcast live on ESPN from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app.

Those without cable can access ESPN via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial.

UK plays Wisconsin tonight for a spot in the national title game. The Wildcats or Badgers will play No. 3 seed Texas A&M on Sunday. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule:

• Semifinals: Today at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
• Championship: Dec. 21 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri

Click here to view the complete bracket.

• Aug. 23: Kentucky 4, Ohio State 0 (exhibition)
• Aug. 30: Kentucky 3, Lipscomb 0
• Aug. 31: Nebraska 3, Kentucky 2
• Sept. 5: Kentucky 3, Penn State 0
• Sept. 6: Kentucky 3, New Hampshire 0
• Sept. 10: Pitt 3, Kentucky 0
• Sept. 13: Kentucky 3, SMU 1
• Sept. 14: Kentucky 3, Houston 0
• Sept. 18: Kentucky 3, Louisville 2
• Sept. 20: Kentucky 3, Washington 0
• Sept. 24: Kentucky 3, South Carolina 0
• Sept. 26: Kentucky 3, Georgia 0
• Oct. 3: Kentucky 3, Ole Miss 0
• Oct. 8: Kentucky 3, Texas A&M 1
• Oct. 12: Kentucky 3, LSU 0
• Oct, 15: Kentucky 3, Auburn 0
• Oct. 19: Kentucky 3, Florida 2
• Oct. 24: Kentucky 3, Mississippi State 1
• Oct. 26: Kentucky 3, Alabama 0
• Oct. 31: Kentucky 3, Vanderbilt 0
• Nov. 2: Kentucky 3, Texas 0
• Nov. 6: Kentucky 3, Missouri 1
• Nov. 9: Kentucky 3, Tennessee 1
• Nov. 14: Kentucky 3, Oklahoma 2
• Nov. 16: Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0
• Nov. 23: Kentucky 3, Auburn 0 (SEC Tournament Quarterfinals)
• Nov. 24: Kentucky 3, Tennessee 1 (SEC Tournament Semifinals)
• Nov. 25: Kentucky 3, Texas 2 (SEC Tournament Final)
• Dec. 4: Kentucky 3, Wofford 0 (NCAA Tournament First Round)
• Dec. 5: Kentucky 3, UCLA 1 (NCAA Tournament Second Round)
• Dec. 11: Kentucky 3, Cal Poly 0 (NCAA Tournament Regional Round)
• Dec. 13: Kentucky 3, Creighton 0 (NCAA Tournament Regional Final)
• Dec. 18: Kentucky 3, Wisconsin 2 (NCAA Tournament National Semifinal)
• Dec. 21: Kentucky vs. Texas A&M (NCAA Tournament National Final)

Read about how UK volleyball coach Craig Skinner’s people-first approach has vaulted the program to sustained national relevance here.

The Wildcats are known for their bench choreography. Read how UK’s sideline antics have helped lead it to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament national semifinal here.

Kentucky and Wisconsin volleyball did not play this season, so today’s match will be their first meeting of the year.

Today’s national semifinal will be the third meeting between UK and Wisconsin. The Wildcats are 0-2 against the Badgers, having played in Madison in 2021 and in Lexington in 2022.

UK volleyball won the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was played in April 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Wildcats have played in 27 NCAA Tournaments, including this one (1983, 1987-88, 1990, 1992-93, 2005-2025). Twenty-one of those appearances came under Skinner.

UK has made 15 NCAA Regional Semifinals and now two Final Fours. The program has one national championship from the 2020-21 season.

Click here to see who the Badgers have faced this season.

Kentucky’s 2025 and 2020-21 teams were both crowned SEC champions.

The 2020-21 team went 24-1, dropping one conference match to Florida (3-2) and never losing on its home court.

The 2025 team is 29-2, riding a 26-match win streak dating back to September and encompassing the whole SEC slate as well as every match at Historic Memorial Coliseum.

The Wildcats have won nine consecutive conference titles, which is a Power Four conference volleyball record.

Kentucky volleyball takes a 26-match win streak into the Final Four after going perfect in SEC play and at Historic Memorial Coliseum this season.

Skinner’s contract with Kentucky volleyball runs through June 30, 2029. His base salary is as follows:

• July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023: $450,000
• July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024: $475,000
• July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025: $525,000
• July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026: $525,000
• July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027: $525,000
• July 1, 2027-June 30, 2028: $525,000
• July 1, 2028-June 30, 2029: $525,000

Skinner also receives $5,000 per contract year (payable on July 31 and Jan. 31) for “media and endorsement” obligations.

His incentive-based bonuses are not cumulative and include:

• $50,000 for a Final Four berth;
• $75,000 for an NCAA Championship

Yes, UK is spending its 2025-26 revenue-sharing budget on the following sports: football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball. The athletics department declined to provide a sport-by-sport spending breakdown when asked by The Courier Journal earlier this year.

Other schools that confirmed to The Courier Journal that they’re spending revenue-sharing dollars on volleyball are:

• Louisville
• Nebraska
• Ohio State
• Minnesota
• Creighton
• BYU
• TCU
• Texas A&M

Eva Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye are Kentucky’s star outside hitters. DeLeye is a junior and was named the Lexington Regional’s Most Outstanding Player.

Hudson transferred to Kentucky from Purdue for her senior season. She was named to the Lexington Regional All-Tournament Team. Hudson was also awarded SEC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

Both players have been critical for UK’s success all season. They proved especially clutch during the Elite Eight match, combining for 32 of the team’s 47 kills.

• Trinity Ward (DS/Libero, Fr., 5-foot-7)
• Ava Sarafa (Setter, R-So., 6 foot)
• Jordyn Dailey (Middle Blocker/Right Side, R-So., 6-foot-2)
• Kassie O’Brien (Setter, Fr., 6-foot-1)
• Eva Hudson (Outside Hitter, Sr., 6-foot-1)
• Brooke Bultema (Middle Blocker, R-So., 6-foot-3)
• Georgia Watson (Outside Hitter, Fr., 6-foot-3)
• Kennedy Washington (Middle Blocker, So., 6 foot)
• Molly Berezowitz (DS/Libero, Jr., 5-foot-5)
• Molly Tuozzo (DS/Libero, Jr., 5-foot-7)
• Hannah Benjamin (Outside Hitter, R-Fr., 6-foot-1)
• Lizzie Carr (Middle Blocker/Right Side, R-Jr., 6-foot-6)
• Brooklyn DeLeye (Outside Hitter, Jr., 6-foot-2)
• Asia Thigpen (Outside Hitter, So., 5-foot-11)

Click here to see who plays for the Badgers.

Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com and follow her on X @petitus25. Subscribe to her “Full-court Press” newsletter here for a behind-the-scenes look at how college sports’ biggest stories are impacting Louisville and Kentucky athletics.