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
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.
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.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville track & field team will officially open its 2026 season by hosting the UNC Asheville Collegiate Opener at Tryon International this Saturday (Jan. 10).
The Bulldogs are hosting the inaugural Collegiate Track and Field meet in Tryon Athletics state of the art Mondo Super X 720 Indoor Track. The facility will later host the Big South Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28.
The meet will begin at 10 a.m. starting with the women’s pole vault and men’s and women’s 3k and will conclude with the 4x400m relays at 5:15 p.m. Results for all events tomorrow can be found here.
EARLY SEASON RESULTS
Seven members of the program opened their seasons at the Winston-Salem College Kick-Off on Dec. 6, with early-season excitement as two school record resets and three additional personal bests highlighted the event. Alison Graf set a new school record in the women’s mile with a time of 4:56.64, and Aneta Kucerová dropped the women’s 3,000m record to 9:54.49.
To stay updated with all things surrounding Asheville track & field, follow the team on 𝕩.
For the sixth consecutive year a girls volleyball player from Essex High School earned the coveted honor as the Vermont’s 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year. This year, senior setter Reese Gregory earned the honor, Gatorade announced on Jan. 9.
The Gatorade award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high academic achievement and exemplary character.
A 5-foot-5 setter, Gregory compiled 368 assists, 74 digs and 48 aces as the Hornets (17-0) won their fifth straight championship. Gregory finished her career having never lost a match as Essex has won 86 consecutive games. The senior holds the state career record for assists with 1,270.
A member of the Essex High School Athletic Leadership Council, Gregory has volunteered locally at pumpkin carving events, toy drives and by reading to students at elementary schools. She has also donated her time helping to organize school events such as pep rallies, a coaches appreciation breakfast and teacher/staff appreciation games.
“She gets to every second ball and makes a set that is user-friendly to any and all positions,” said Bert Berthiaume, head coach at BFA-St. Albans. “She’s hard to read as a defender, because once you think you have her figured out, she will change up her strategy. Reese is also a class act on the court, supporting her teammates and treating the opposition with respect.”
Gregory has maintained a 3.32 GPA in the classroom. She remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every player of the year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
MORAGA, Calif. —Continuing to utilize the valuable tool that is the transfer portal, Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand has added another transfer to his 2026 roster, as Mackenzie Jackson, formerly of Montana State, will be joining the Gaels next season.
Standing at 6-2, Jackson is an opposite who comes to Moraga with three years of playing eligibility. After redshirting in her first year at Montana State, Jackson debuted in 2025, appearing in 23 of 28 matches, and tallying 68 kills, 28 digs and 24 blocks. She had a breakout 12 kill performance against Big Sky foe Eastern Washington in a come from behind five set victory for the Bobcats. Originally from Helena, Montana, Jackson led Helena High School to a league title as a junior, and was named first team All-Conference as a senior. She also competed in jumps on the track and field team.
With the graduation of starting opposite Genevieve Bane, Jackson should immediately compete for playing time in her first season in Moraga.
USF opens its inaugural season Feb. 20 at Tulane; Will host two home events on Clearwater Beach.
TAMPA, FLA., JAN. 9, 2026 – University of South Florida Beach Volleyball Head Coach Pri Piantadosi-Lima has announced the program’s competition schedule for its inaugural 2026 season, marking a historic milestone as the newest varsity sport within USF Athletics.
The Bulls, which open their debut campaign February 20–21 at Tulane and will face a challenging slate that features seven teams that were ranked in the final 2025 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Poll, including No. 8 Florida State (two meetings), No. 11 LSU, No. 15 FAU, No. 17 Georgia State, No. 18 FGCU and No. 20 Washington.
South Florida will host a pair of two-day tournaments on Clearwater Beach during its inaugural season. The Bulls will welcome teams for the Stampede Beach Opener March 27–28 and The Gulf Front Invitational April 17–18. Home events will feature five or six teams with several matches each day, highlighted by marquee matches generally in the 1:30-3:30 p.m. window each day.
Admission to all South Florida home beach volleyball events is free.
“This schedule represents years of building, planning, and believing in what USF Beach Volleyball will become,” Piantadosi-Lima said. “We are ready to compete and officially represent the University of South Florida on the sand. Our players have been building toward this moment, and beginning our first NCAA season is something we take great pride in.”
USF will compete in beach volleyball as a member of Conference USA. FAU is the defending conference champion after winning the 2025 CUSA Beach Volleyball Tournament. The 10-team league also includes FIU, Jacksonville State, Missouri State, Sam Houston, Tarleton State, Tulane, UAB and UTEP.
Following the season opener at Tulane, the Bulls travel to Florida State February 27–28 to face a Seminoles program that reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament last year.
South Florida returns to the Tampa Bay area March 6–7 for matches at the University of Tampa, marking the Bulls’ first local competition before their home debut later in the month.
The Bulls continue play at Coastal Carolina March 13–14 before hosting their first-ever home event, the Stampede Beach Opener, March 27–28 on the sands of Clearwater Beach. The two-day showcase will feature teams from Sacramento State, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, UAB and UTEP and will introduce South Florida Beach Volleyball to the Tampa Bay community.
“Playing our first match at Tulane will be a moment this program remembers forever, but bringing this sport home to Clearwater Beach is something truly special,” Piantadosi-Lima said. “It’s one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, and also a well-known beach volleyball Mecca where Olympians have come to compete here. We can’t wait for our fans to experience our team up close for the first time.”
USF resumes competition at Georgia State April 3–4 before making the longest road trip of the season to Boise, Idaho, for matches at Boise State April 10–11. The Bulls will close the regular season at home, hosting The Gulf Front Invitational April 17–18 on Clearwater Beach. For that event, the Bulls will host teams from Florida State, FGCU, LSU and Mercer – FSU, FGCU and LSU all were ranked in the top 20 last year.
“We’re building a team, a culture, a standard, and a fan base,” Piantadosi-Lima said. “Every match we play, home or away, is a chance to establish who we are and who we want to become. We’re ready to begin this journey, and we can’t wait for Bulls Nation to join us.”
Postseason play begins with the Conference USA Championship, scheduled for April 23–25 at Sugar Beach in Youngsville, La. The NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship will be held May 1–3 at Gulf Place Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala.
2025 USF Beach Volleyball Inaugural Season Schedule
February 20–21: at Tulane – New Orleans, La.
February 27–28: at Florida State – Tallahassee, Fla.
March 6–7: at University of Tampa – Tampa, Fla.
March 13–14: at Coastal Carolina – Conway, S.C.
March 27–28:Stampede Beach Opener – Clearwater Beach, Fla.
April 3–4: at Georgia State – Statesboro, Ga.
April 10–11: at Boise State – Boise, Idaho
April 17–18:The Gulf Front Invitational – Clearwater Beach, Fla.
April 23–25: Conference USA Championship – Youngsville, La.
May 1–3: NCAA Championship – Gulf Shores, Ala.
About USF Beach Volleyball The University of South Florida Beach Volleyball program is the newest program in the now 21-team USF Athletics program. South Florida Beach Volleyball joined Conference USA on July 1, 2025. Pri Piantadosi-Lima was named South Florida’s first-ever beach volleyball head coach on June 6, 2023. She also serves as the head coach of USAV Beach and the national team development program and was honored as the 2022 USA Volleyball Female Junior Coach of the Year. Before joining South Florida, Piantadosi-Lima helped launch the Eckerd College program in 2015 as an assistant coach and helped lead the program to its first AVCA national championship and two consecutive NCAA championship podium finishes.
Follow USF Beach Volleyball on
X, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Beach Volleyball program.
TULSA, Okla. — Registration for Tulsa Parks’ spring volleyball is now open.
Tulsa Parks said registration is open for the Youth Volleyball: Skills and Play league for grades 2nd through 5th and Volley Tots, a beginner volleyball program for grades Kindergarten through 1st.
Volley Tots is designed to help kids build confidence, learn volleyball fundamentals and have fun in a positive, team-focused environment.
Players will practice skills like serving, passing, setting and hitting through a mix of instruction, drills and game play, all led by supportive coaches.
Tulsa Parks shared the following details for each league:
Youth Volleyball
Co-ed
Meets once during the week on Saturday mornings
Rotates between Tulsa Parks’ Recreation Center
March 3 – April. 25
$50 per resident
Volley Tots
Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Reed Community Center
5-week introductory program
Spots are limited. You can register by clicking here.
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Loyola Chicago opened the 2026 season with a 3-0 setback at No. 2 Hawaiʻi on Thursday, Jan. 8. In front of 5,800 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center, the Rainbow Warriors claimed the match in straight sets (25-18, 25-19 and 25-15).
Daniel Fabikovic led the Ramblers offensively with 11 kills on .333 hitting, while Ryan McElligott directed the offense with 26 assists. Loyola recorded nine total team blocks in the match, with Bryce Robbins and Aidan Klein contributing multiple stuffs at the net.
Coach Quote: Shane Davis
“Opening on the road against a team like Hawaiʻi is a great measuring stick for us. We showed flashes of what we’re capable of, especially early in sets but our consistency and execution have to greatly improve. We’ve got some new pieces, but we’ve got to learn to play better together and execute things at a high level. Lots of things to improve on as we prepare for tomorrow’s match.”
How It Happened
Set One | Loyola dropped the first set 25-18 despite a decent showing on the attacking end, putting together a .313 hitting clip with nine kills in the set loss. Kills from Fabikovic and Aleksandar Sosa helped keep the score tight through the midway point until Hawai’i closed the frame on a 9-2 stretch, powered by strong serving and efficient attacking.
Set Two | The Rainbow Warriors jumped out to an early advantage in set two, capitalizing on a trio of service aces during a decisive run. Loyola responded with improved blocking, led by Robbins and Brad Bell, and kills from Fabikovic and Klein to trim the deficit to three late in the set, but Hawai’i maintained control and took the set 25-19.
Set Three | Loyola showed fight early in the third, trading points and staying close through the first half. Hawai’i’s serving pressure was pivotal as the home team rattled off a late run to widen the gap and secure the final frame 25-15. The Rainbow Warriors finished the match hitting .211 in the final set, while the Ramblers were limited to a .000 attack percentage.
Inside the Box Score
Robbins set a career high three block assists and one solo, and Klein also set a career high four block assists.
Sosa recorded nine kills in his Loyola debut and added two block assists and one dig.
Rookie Ayden DesLauriers made his collegiate debut and made three serves for a perfect service percentage.
Up Next
The Ramblers and Rainbow Warriors rematch tomorrow night, Friday, Jan. 9 at 11 p.m. CT.
The Bulls, which open their debut campaign February 20–21 at Tulane and will face a challenging slate that features seven teams that were ranked in the final 2025 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Poll, including No. 8 Florida State (two meetings), No. 11 LSU, No. 15 FAU, No. 17 Georgia State, No. 18 FGCU and No. 20 Washington.
