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NCAA volleyball tournament final: Keys to Kentucky-Texas A&M

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  • Elizabeth Merrill

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    Elizabeth Merrill

    ESPN Senior Writer

      Elizabeth Merrill is a senior writer for ESPN. She previously wrote for The Kansas City Star and The Omaha World-Herald.

  • Charlotte Gibson

Dec 21, 2025, 07:14 AM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We get it. You’re tired of hearing about SEC domination. The selection committee favors them, yada yada, because “it just means more.”

But wait. … We’re talking about volleyball here.

For the first time in the conference’s history, two SEC teams will be battling for the volleyball national championship Sunday afternoon when No. 2 Kentucky plays sixth-ranked Texas A&M at T-Mobile Center (3:30 ET, ABC). It took the league nearly four decades to celebrate its first national championship when Craig Skinner’s Kentucky Wildcats won in 2020 — actually spring 2021 because of COVID-19.

But this pairing is not a fluke. The Southeastern Conference had three teams (Kentucky, Texas and Texas A&M) ranked in the top 10 in the final regular-season poll, and a Wisconsin upset of Texas prevented the final four from being three-fourths SEC. Sunday’s outcome will ensure that four teams currently in the SEC have won the national championship in the past six years (Kentucky 2020, Texas 2022 and 2023), though Texas didn’t join the conference until 2024.

Skinner opened his news conference Friday by acknowledging the shift.

“Kudos to the SEC and the coaches in our league,” Skinner said, “for getting our conference in the position to be an elite league in the sport of volleyball in the NCAA.”

Skinner, an assistant when Nebraska won a national championship in 2000, knew the dearth of SEC dominance might hinder recruiting when he took the Kentucky job in 2005. So, he used the “Come join us and be the first SEC team to win a national championship” pitch.

“To be really good, you’ve got to invest a lot of time,” Skinner said. “I’d been a part of a national championship program. I just wanted people to feel what that was like. Not just winning it, but the work and the time and the competitive desire it takes to get to that point, because that’s the way life is.

“So, for us to do that, I think, broke down doors that either Kentucky could do it again or someone else in the league can. We’re very proud of doing that.”

Tiffany Daniels, the SEC’s associate commissioner and senior woman administrator, said nonconference scheduling, school investment and strong coaching hires have played a part in the ascent. A little bit of pride didn’t hurt, either.

Daniels said when Greg Sankey became commissioner in 2015, he noticed that volleyball was the only sport among the conference’s then-21 offerings that hadn’t produced a national title. He met with the coaches in the conference and asked what the SEC could do to help win a championship. She said the coaches “really leaned into that question and started to think strategically about how to move forward.

“I think that is what we’re seeing, the results of the fruits of that labor,” Daniels said.

Another thing that might have helped the league in the NCAA tournament was the return of the SEC tournament this fall. It was the first conference tournament for volleyball in two decades, and Texas A&M coach Jamie Morrison admits he was “a little bit iffy” on the prospect at first. None of the other major conferences — the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 — hold conference tournaments.

“Commissioner Sankey begged and pleaded us,” Morrison said. “They wanted something to build — and this is a bad word, but — commercialization around, which is not a bad word anymore because it has to go that way in order for our sport to be viable and in order for a lot of things to happen.

“I think they did an amazing job with that. All of a sudden we got really good volleyball against really good teams in pressure situations.”

It was a primer for things to come.

Kentucky and Texas A&M were pressure-tested during their runs to the final. The Wildcats rallied from a set down against Wisconsin in the national semifinals and advanced in five sets. The Aggies escaped a two-set hole against Louisville in the regional semifinals and then upset Nebraska in a pressure-packed fifth in the regional final.

Both teams like to talk about how grit and mental toughness have pushed them to the championship match. Now, there’s one more win to be had in the 2025 NCAA volleyball season. The only certainty is that an SEC team will claim it.

Here are four other storylines to watch during the championship match.

Power of the pins

Traditionally, the best pin hitters in the title game claim the title for their team. Last year, it was Penn State’s Jess Mruzik. The year before that, it was Texas’ Madisen Skinner. And the year before that, it was Texas’ Logan Eggleston. Well, you get the idea.

There are several powerful pins in Sunday’s championship game — on both sides. The Wildcats feature Purdue transfer Eva Hudson (4.59 kills per set) and Brooklyn DeLeye (4.62 kills per set), and the Aggies showcase Logan Lednicky (4.11 kills per set) and Kyndal Stowers (3.50 kills per set). They’ve accounted for 351 kills in the tournament.

But it won’t be just a competition to see which team can outhit the other. Hudson said it might be as much about who can “outgrit” the other.

“Who lasts the longest, honestly,” she said. “And I think that’s what most of these games in the end, especially during the final four championship, comes down to, right? Players like Kyndal and Logan never stop fighting. They’re never going to stop swinging away. And we’re the same way.”

In Thursday’s semifinal against Wisconsin, Hudson dominated in the fourth and fifth sets. Her final kill of the game sealed the Wildcats’ fate and earned her 29 kills with a .455 hitting percentage. In the sweep against Pitt, Stowers and Lednicky led their program to its first title game with a combined 30 kills. When asked about her rise in kills in the past few games, Stowers said she’s at a loss for words.

“Pure gratitude. This is crazy,” Stowers said. “This is an absolute crazy experience. We have had faith in ourselves all year. From the first game of the season, we knew we were capable of this.”

Remember October?

Kentucky beat the Aggies 21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 27-25 in an Oct. 8 thriller in College Station. Texas A&M has clearly hit another gear in December, though, knocking off No. 20 TCU, No. 9 Louisville, No. 1 Nebraska and No. 4 Pitt in the postseason. “That feels like a really long time ago,” A&M outside hitter Emily Hellmuth said of the regular-season matchup. “It’s hard to honestly remember, so much has happened since then. I do remember after the fourth set everyone, including all the fans and us, feeling so — I don’t know — it was a confusing feeling of, we knew that we were about to go to the fifth. I think we left feeling like there was a lot of unfinished business there.”

Kentucky outside hitter Asia Thigpen took note of the Aggies’ big block presence in the regionals last week in Lincoln. “They’ve grown as a team since [October],” Thigpen said. “We have, too. I think just continuing to instill confidence in ourselves that we can do this.”

Hudson echoed Thigpen.

“Both of our teams have gotten so much better since then that it’s kind of like playing a whole new team,” Hudson said. “And I mean, kind of a similar game plan, but you’ve got to be ready for anything at this point in the tournament, too.”

Vibe check

A massive number of fans from Nebraska were supposed to travel down Interstate 29 to Kansas City this weekend, but Texas A&M squashed those plans last week with the upset over the No. 1 Cornhuskers. Still, the vibe has been festive in the City of Fountains.

Last year’s final drew an NCAA postseason record of 21,860 fans to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. It didn’t hurt that Louisville was playing Penn State. (The home team lost in four games.)

The sport’s popularity has grown each season, and this weekend’s interest in Kansas City is no exception. Downtown restaurants have had waiting lists, and the crowds were lively at T-Mobile Center on Thursday night for the semifinals.

“The vibe has been amazing,” Morrison said.

The NCAA said the attendance for Thursday night’s semifinal session was 18,322 — a sellout. Kristin Fasbender, the NCAA’s director of championships and alliances, said the empty seats in the lower bowl during the first match were mostly team-block allotments that were eventually occupied by fans who hadn’t shown up yet for the second match. “There’s lots of excitement,” Fasbender said.

Nebraska fans, still working through their stages of grief, have helped fill up the arena. On Thursday night, the crowd erupted when a fan in Husker gear appeared on the video board.

Morrison took notice of all the red.

“One of the things I really respect about Nebraska fans is a lot of them have showed up,” he said. “I know there was some stuff on social media, disappointment and that. I mean this: If we can do what I believe we can do at Texas A&M, I believe the 12th man can become that, too, where it’s passionate about volleyball, might show up to the final four, regardless of if we’re in it or not.

” … We need to grow volleyball fans, and take a card from Nebraska in that and go. I think the crowd has been amazing. I had a bunch of thumbs-up. I couldn’t tell if it was ‘good job’ or ‘gig ’em’ from Nebraska fans as I was walking out [Thursday] night.”

X factors

Though Hudson and DeLeye make most Kentucky headlines, Hudson believes her team’s X factors are middle blocker Lizzie Carr and Thigpen.

“When Lizzie Carr gets going, we’re dang near unstoppable,” Hudson said. “She’s such a fire to the team. But then we also have Asia Thigpen, who is one of the most competitive people I’ve ever known, and she makes me better. Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Hudson added that Thigpen, who is 5-foot-11, oftentimes gets overlooked because of her height — emphasizing her ability to be their secret weapon on the court.

The Aggies’ X factor heading into this game might be their ability to play with what their team has described as “so much grit.” It also might be the nine seniors — let’s not forget about middle blocker extraordinaire Ifenna Cos-Okpalla — on their roster who are ready to make their last college game the most memorable yet.

“I want to end my collegiate career as a winner,” senior Ava Underwood said. “We go into the gym every single day with the mindset that we’re going to be the grittiest team out there. We all want to play for each other. We want to win for each other.”

In his third season with the Aggies, Morrison led his program to its first final four and first national championship game. After sweeping Pitt in the semifinals, he credited his seniors for changing the future.

“We built this. Not just a team that can go to the final four and play for a national championship this year, but I think something that is going to last,” Morrison said. “That’s what I came to Texas A&M to do — to build something that is going to last. This group has helped us do that.”



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Texas A&M Sweeps Kentucky in National Championship Match – UK Athletics

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December 22, 2025

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Texas A&M Aggies swept top-seeded Kentucky 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-20) on Sunday to win the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Championship. The win for Texas A&M marks its first NCAA national championship in program history and the Aggies become the second school all-time to win the title out of the Southeastern Conference.

Kentucky had a set point in set one at 24-23, but the Aggies closed the set on a 3-0 run with a UK hitting error and a TAMU stuff to close the set, 26-24 and TAMU never trailed again the entire rest of the match. The Wildcats finish their historic season 30-3 overall with Sunday’s loss snapping a 27-match win streak. UK won the SEC regular season with a perfect league record and defeated Texas in five sets to win the SEC Tournament Championship back in November.

Sunday marked the final match in the Blue and White for Eva Hudson, who as the lone senior on the team, closes her career. Hudson was the 2025 SEC Player of the Year, an AVCA First Team All-American and finalist for AVCA National Player of the Year. She finished Sunday’s match with 13 kills on 45 swings and four digs. Hudson was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team with Texas A&M’s Ifenna Cos-Okpalla named the MOP of the tournament.

This was Kentucky’s second time in the NCAA National Championship match in program history, with the first coming back in 2020 in Omaha, when the Wildcats beat Texas 3-1 to secure the program and the conference’s first-ever NCAA title. This was also UK’s second appearance in the NCAA Final Four with 2020 being the first in program history.

For Texas A&M, the Aggies were led by Logan Lednicky who registered 11 kills on 32 swings with Kyndal Stowers having 10 to put two TAMU players into double figures Sunday afternoon. TAMU as a team sided out at 70 percent or better in all three sets, something no opponent Kentucky played all season did in a single set, much less three in one set. Texas A&M finishes its season with a 29-4 record and was 14-1 in the SEC.

Set 1

Kentucky was in front for a majority of the opening set with its lead as large as six points as late as 18-12, but the Aggies came back to take the set in a deuce frame, 26-24 as UK’s passing fell apart down the stretch of the set. Kentucky scored the first three points of the frame and took a 6-1 lead through seven points that pushed the Aggies into an early timeout down by five. A&M could not close the gap for the large spread of the set with a kill from Kennedy Washington on a slide making things 18-12 as TAMU called its second and final timeout. Out of the stoppage, an Aggie sideout led to a 5-0 Aggie run and Texas A&M pulled even with the Wildcats at 20-20. UK got a kill from Eva Hudson at 23-23 to hand the Wildcats a set point, but that attempt was thwarted by the Aggies and TAMU proceeded to close the set on a 3-0 run to take the opening set, 26-24. Kentucky hit .171 in the set with Texas A&M hitting .205. Hudson, Brooklyn DeLeye and Lizzie Carr led the way for UK with four kills each as Kennedy Washington also had a pair for UK. Kassie O’Brien logged 15 assists on 16 of UK’s kills with Hudson’s four digs leading the way for the Wildcat defense.

Set 2

Texas A&M dominated the second set from start to finish, taking the 2-0 lead with a 25-15 second set win. Kentucky hit negative in a set for the first time all season as the Wildcats had just 10 kills to 11 errors in the frame to hit -.021. TAMU’s lead was as many as 10 at 20-10 and the teams exchanged points to the finish line as the Wildcats only scored back-to-back points in the set one time. The loss in the set marked just the second time this season that UK was held to 15 points or fewer with the other being in Thursday night’s semifinal match vs. Wisconsin when the Badgers beat UK 25-12 in the opening set. With the 2-0 lead, it marked the fourth time this season that UK had lost the first two sets in a match with UK’s matches vs. Pitt, Texas and Oklahoma being the other three and UK holding a 2-1 record in those matches.

Set 3

Texas A&M won five of the first six points and ran away from the Wildcats in the third set. The Aggies sided out at 70 percent in the third set and won the match on their second Championship Point to close things out, 25-20.

For the latest on UK Volleyball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @KentuckyVB.





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The Star’s All-County Girls Volleyball First Team for the 2025 season

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December 22, 2025

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Updated Dec. 21, 2025, 3:18 p.m. PT

SAYLOR HALVORSEN, Thousand Oaks: In just her second year of high school volleyball, the 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter was simply a dominant force on the court this fall. Nicknamed "Gamechanger" by head coach James Park, Halvorsen racked up 373 kills, 61 aces, 147 digs and 44 total blocks, including an incredible 41 solo stuffs, and led her team in kills, aces and blocks. She had the best hitting percentage amongst the best hitting corps in the area. Halvorsen received first-team all-Marmonte League honors.

SAYLOR HALVORSEN, Thousand Oaks:
In just her second year of high school volleyball, the 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter was simply a dominant force on the court this fall. Nicknamed “Gamechanger” by head coach James Park, Halvorsen racked up 373 kills, 61 aces, 147 digs and 44 total blocks, including an incredible 41 solo stuffs, and led her team in kills, aces and blocks. She had the best hitting percentage amongst the best hitting corps in the area. Halvorsen received first-team all-Marmonte League honors. 

DOMINIC MASSIMINO/THE STAR



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Texas A&M wins 2025 DI women’s volleyball championship

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December 22, 2025

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No. 3 Texas A&M swept No. 1 Kentucky to win the 2025 DI women’s volleyball championship on Sunday, Dec. 21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Both programs earned their spot in the final after clinching victories on Thursday, Dec. 18 to set up the first ever all-SEC national championship in DI women’s volleyball history. 

The Aggies knocked off No. 1 Pitt in three straight sets, continuing their historic season by etching their names in the program’s first-ever national championship. Kyndal Stowers powered the Maroon and White with 16 kills on .433 hitting while setter Maddie Waak orchestrated her balanced offense to an impressive .382 clip with four different Aggies earning at least eight put-aways. Texas A&M has now knocked off back-to-back No. 1 seeds (Nebraska, Pitt) and look to the next in No. 1 Kentucky. 

Big Blue earned a dramatic five-setter victory over No. 3 Wisconsin to earn its second ever national championship appearance and first since their 2021 national title. The Badgers seemed to have all control after a Set 1 25-12 victory, but Kentucky wouldn’t be denied. Eva Hudson was on fire, accruing 29 kills on .455 hitting while Molly Tuozzo’s back-court defense with 17 critical digs fought off a career night from Mimi Colyer. The Cats have the momentum heading into Sunday’s match with 27 straight wins. 

The full 64-team bracket was announced on Sunday, Nov. 30. Thirty-one conference champions earned automatic bids to the tournament, with the NCAA DI women’s volleyball committee selecting 33 other teams as at-large picks.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 women’s volleyball championship.

2025 DI women’s volleyball championship bracket

👉 Click or tap to see the interactive bracket

Updated Division 1 Volleyball Bracket

2025 DI women’s volleyball championship schedule

All times listed in ET

  • Selection show: 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30
  • First round: 
    • Thursday, Dec. 4 
      • No. 5 Colorado 3, American 0
      • No. 6 Baylor 3, Arkansas State 2
      • No. 8 UCLA 3, Georgia Tech 2
      • No. 5 Miami (Fla.) 3, Tulsa 1
      • No. 4 Indiana 3, Toledo 0
      • No. 6 UNI 3, Utah 2
      • North Carolina 3, No. 6 UTEP 1
      • Utah State 3, No. 7 Tennessee 2
      • No. 1 Kentucky 3, Wofford 0
      • No. 3 Purdue 3, Wright State 0
      • No. 4 Kansas 3, High Point 0
      • Cal Poly 3, No. 5 BYU 2
      • No. 3 Creighton 3, Northern Colorado 2
      • No. 3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0
      • No. 2 Arizona State 3, Coppin State 0
      • No. 4 USC 3, Princeton 0
    • Friday, Dec. 5
      • Marquette 3, No. 7 Western Kentucky 0
      • Michigan 3, No. 8 Xavier 0
      • Florida 3, No. 7 Rice 0
      • No. 6 TCU 3, SFA 0
      • No. 5 Iowa State 3, St. Thomas (Minn.) 2
      • No. 8 Penn State 3, South Florida 1
      • Kansas State 3, No. 8 San Diego 2
      • No. 2 Louisville 3, Loyola Chicago 0
      • No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, UMBC 0
      • No. 2 SMU 3, Central Arkansas 0
      • Arizona 3, No. 7 South Dakota State 1
      • No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Campbell 0
      • No. 4 Minnesota 3, Fairfield 0
      • No. 1 Nebraska 3, LIU 0
      • No. 1 Texas 3, Florida A&M 0
      • No. 2 Stanford 3, Utah Valley 1
  • Second Round: 
    • Friday, Dec. 5
    • Saturday, Dec. 6
  • Regionals
    • Thursday, Dec. 11
    • Friday, Dec. 12
    • Saturday, Dec. 13
    • Sunday, Dec. 14
    • Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
    • National championship: Sunday, Dec. 21

DI women’s volleyball championship history

Here is the complete history of DI women’s volleyball champions:

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NCAA women’s volleyball Way-Too-Early Top 10 for 2026

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December 22, 2025

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  • Charlie CremeDec 21, 2025, 05:31 PM ET

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      Charlie Creme projects the women’s NCAA tournament bracket for ESPN.com.

The buzz from a thrilling NCAA volleyball tournament final four in Kansas City and a Texas A&M national championship hasn’t dimmed, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t too early to start thinking about next season. With the transfer portal already open, most of the country’s players and coaches already have.

Nebraska’s dominance this season looked like a forgone conclusion. Then one afternoon in Lincoln, Texas A&M shocked the world and turned the run to the national championship into a wide-open affair.

That’s what 2026 should be from the outset. So many great players like Pitt’s Olivia Babcock, Nebraska’s Harper Murray and Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye are back and will be on teams with a chance at a title.

The transfer portal has yet to take hold in full. Many rosters could get a shake up in the coming weeks. This top 10 is based on what we know now and is a little peek into how the run to next season’s final four in San Antonio could shake out.

1. Texas Longhorns

The freshman class, led by Cari Spears and Abby Vander Wal, was instrumental in getting the Longhorns back to a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed. The Longhorns’ recruiting class for 2026 looks just as good with top-rated outside hitter, Henley Anderson, and top setter, Genevieve Harris. They will all still be led by Torrey Stafford, the 12th-best point producer in the country and one of the best all-around players.

2. Stanford Cardinal

Stanford tied for the ACC championship and did it with 14 freshmen and sophomores on the roster. Top hitter Elia Rubin will be tough to say goodbye to, but the Cardinal will have the depth and talent to win their first national title since 2019.

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers

The invincibility of 2025 Nebraska won’t be there with the losses of Rebekah Allick and Taylor Landfair. But Bergen Reilly, Murray and Andi Jackson form a core capable of the national championship that eluded the Huskers following their stunning loss to Texas A&M in the regional finals.

4. Wisconsin Badgers

The offseason might be nearly as long for Wisconsin as it is for Nebraska, as the Badgers ponder how it let the national semifinal match against Kentucky slip away. Coach Kelly Sheffield will also have to worry about replacing the likes of Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth, but a talented group of underclassmen led by All-American setter Charlie Fuerbringer will make Wisconsin a final four contender again.

5. Pittsburgh Panthers

The good news is that Pittsburgh has reached five straight final fours and still has Babcock for one more season. The bad news — the Panthers again failed to advance to a national championship game and will lose all-ACC setter Brooke Mosher.

6. Kentucky Wildcats

With the graduation of Eva Hudson, who was so vital to the Wildcats’ run to the final four, and the jump that Texas is expected to take, Kentucky’s streak of nine straight SEC titles could be in jeopardy. But top hitter DeLeye is back for her senior year and she’ll be joined by Lizzie Carr, Asia Thigpen and Kennedy Washington, Kentucky’s third-, fourth- and fifth-best scorers from this season.

7. Louisville Cardinals

With the ACC Freshman of the Year in Kalyssa Blackshear, the conference leader in blocks in Cara Cresse, the ACC’s second-leading setter in Nayelis Cabello and their top two hitters — Payton Petersen and Chloe Chicoine — all back, the Cardinals will be in position to shake off the disappointment of a fourth-place ACC finish and a loss in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament, their earliest exit since 2020.

8. SMU Mustangs

While setter Averi Carlson and top hitter Malaya Jones have used up their eligibility, the sophomore trio of Jadyn Livings, Favor Anyanwu and Natalia Newsome are expected back. Full, healthy seasons from Livings and Newsome would be a big boost. So will the addition of Big 12 Freshman of the Year Suli Davis, who has already announced her transfer to SMU from BYU.

9. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue, the surprise team of the season, was picked seventh in the Big Ten in the preseason yet reached the Elite Eight. Ravaged by transfers (Hudson and Carr were Boilermakers in 2024) and graduation and with a roster with just two seniors, Purdue leaned into its underdog role. That won’t be the case in 2026 if Purdue can keep a well-balanced team led by Kenna Wollard and Grace Heaney intact.

10. Texas A&M Aggies

The losses of program mainstay Logan Lednicky and setter Maddie Waak make repeating this season’s magic seem unlikely. However, the star power of Kyndal Stowers is obvious, which might be good enough to make the SEC a three-team race.

Also considered: USC, Minnesota, Creighton



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ACU unveils 2026 indoor, outdoor Track and Field schedules

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December 22, 2025

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ABILENE, Texas — The ACU Wildcats have released their 2026 track and field schedule, the team announced on social media.

ACU’s indoor season began December 6 with the 12-Degree McFerrin Invitational in College Station, Texas.

The Wildcats’ next meet is set for January 16-17 in Lubbock, Texas with the Corky Classic.

The rest of ACU’s indoor schedule is as follows:

  • January 23: Stan Scott Invite (Lubbock, TX)
  • January 30-31: Robert Platt Invitational (Houston, TX)
  • February 6-7: Charlie Thomas Invitational (College Station, TX)
  • February 13-14: Jarvis Scott Invitational (Lubbock, TX)
  • February 27-28: WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships (Spokane, WA)
  • March 13-14: NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (Fayetteville, AR)

RELATED | ACU extends coach Keith Patterson’s contract through 2029 season

The Wildcats are set to kick off their outdoor season March 20-21, as ACU is hosting the Wes Kittley Invitational.

The rest of their outdoor schedule is as follows:

  • March 26-27: Angelo State David Noble Relays (San Angelo, TX), Texas Tech Masked Raider Invite (Lubbock, TX)
  • April 3-4: Texas Relays (Austin, TX)
  • April 10-11: McMurry War Hawk Classic (Abilene, TX)
  • April 17-18: Tarleton State Joe Gillespie Invitational (Stephenville, TX)
  • April 24-25: Baylor Michael Johnson Invitational (Waco, TX)
  • May 1-2: Texas Tech Corky/Crofoot shootout (Lubbock, TX)
  • May 15-16: WAC Outdoor Championships (Arlington, TX)
  • May 27-30: NCAA Outdoor Championships – West Preliminary (Fayetteville, AR)



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Texas A&M volleyball wins first national championship

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December 22, 2025

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Dec 21, 2025, 06:09 PM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Logan Lednicky had 11 kills, Maddie Waak had 29 assists and Texas A&M won its first NCAA volleyball championship, sweeping Kentucky 3-0 on Sunday.

The Aggies (29-4) accomplished the rare feat of defeating three No. 1 seeds. They defeated Nebraska and Pittsburgh earlier in the tournament. They did not drop a set in the final four.

Texas A&M led 13-10 in the third set before a kill by Lednicky started a 6-1 scoring run for a commanding 19-11 lead, six points from the national championship.

At 24-18 in the third set, Kentucky held off a couple of match points before the Aggies took advantage of a free ball and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla delivered the championship point, crushing a set from Waak out of the middle.

Kyndal Stowers finished with 10 kills and hit .304. Cos-Okpalla added eight kills, hitting .235 and Lednicky hit .250.

Eva Hudson had a match-high 13 kills for Kentucky and Kassie O’Brien had 34 assists.

The Aggies hit .257 as a team, compared to Kentucky’s .148.

Set scores were 26-24, 25-15, 25-20.

The Aggies trailed throughout the first set until they tied the score at 20 and also saved a set point to tie it at 24. The Aggies took their first lead at 25-24 on an attack error by Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, her fifth of the set. Stowers finished off the 26-24 first-set win for the Aggies with a tip off the Kentucky block.

After taking that 25-24 lead, the Aggies did not trail at any point in the rest of the match.

Kentucky (30-3) continued to struggle at the net in the second set. The Wildcats had nine errors in the first set and six more while falling behind 19-9 in the second. The Aggies continued to dominate, winning 25-15 after outhitting their SEC rival .253 — .077.

Stowers and Lednicky had eight kills each in the first two sets, with Stowers hitting .368 and Lednicky .240.



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