Women’s college volleyball’s Final Four has been set, and the four teams heading to Kansas City aren’t the teams anyone expected. Pitt, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Wisconsin will compete for a chance at a national championship on Thursday night. Whether you’ve been watching all season or just tuned in, here’s what you need to know about the national semifinalists.
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kentucky wildcats
National Semifinal Path: Wofford (3-0), UCLA (3-1), Cal Poly (3-0), Creighton (3-0)
As a No. 1 seed and SEC champion, Kentucky has one of the best resumes among finals teams. Their record is 27-2, with both losses coming in September. They dropped just one set in the NCAA tournament and handed third-seeded Creighton its biggest loss of the season in the regional finals.
One of the biggest reasons for their success is their front line. Outside hitters Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson combined for nearly 10 kills per set. Lizzie Carr is 6-foot-6 and ranks among the top 50 players in the country with 1.26 blocks per set. Kentucky’s defense is the hallmark of the team’s game and a big reason why they are as successful as they are.
“We’ve got to build a defensive mentality in practice. We keep hitting them at them and they’re flying around the gym, making plays,” Wildcats coach Craig Skinner said. “We have a few rules where we explain why you don’t go for the ball; it’s going to go out of bounds, get a whistle, or there’s some kind of danger. Other than that, you better go for the ball. But just, you have to set that in practice and we’ve spent a lot of time instilling that into our team this year, and, man, it’s fun to watch.”
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pittsburgh panthers
National Semifinal Path: UMBC (3-0), Michigan State (3-0), Minnesota (3-0), Purdue (3-1)
When it comes to Pitt volleyball, we have to start with Olivia Babcock. She is the reigning AVCA Player of the Year and is once again a finalist for the award. Babcock is a right-side hitter with all-around ability. She had 5.11 kills and 2.11 digs per set.
But Babcock is not alone. Outside hitter Marina Pezelj is one of the best freshmen in the country, and Bre Kelley ranks 20th nationally with 1.44 blocks per set. Pittsburgh has a good frontcourt, but struggles defensively in the backcourt. Setter Brooke Mosher is one of the players helping out. She transferred from Illinois and had a great game against Purdue in the regional finals.
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Texas A&M University
National Semifinal Path: Campbell (3-0), TCU (3-1), Louisville (3-2), Nebraska (3-2)
As the No. 3 seed, the Aggies face a major obstacle: undefeated No. 1 Nebraska. Nebraska is playing near-perfect volleyball heading into the regional finals, and the Aggies have lost four times this season. But Texas A&M didn’t want to co-operate in Nebraska’s coronation and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports this year, defeating the Huskers 3-2 in the regional final in Lincoln. The win means the Aggies will advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history.
“You play sports to prove who’s better at that moment,” Texas A&M coach Jamie Morrison. “We finally made it and I’m excited.”
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Texas A&M’s last two games, both 3-2, were instant classics; their game against Louisville was the best game of the tournament — until Nebraska. Now, after an exciting weekend, the Aggies head into their next game against the next No. 1 seed, Pitt. Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicki is one of their best players, and they’re going to need another big game from her if they want to pull off another big upset.
Wisconsin Badgers
National Semifinal Path: Eastern Illinois (3-0), North Carolina (3-0), Stanford (3-1), Texas (3-1)
If not for Texas A&M’s big win, Wisconsin would have been a major upset of the tournament. The Badgers defeated No. 1 seed Texas 3-1 in the regional final. It’s a bit of revenge, as the Longhorns swept Wisconsin earlier in the season in Madison. Now, Wisconsin appears to be getting hot at the right time as it competes for its first national title since 2021.
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“The Final Four was so special and incredible,” he said. “When you get out there, with every fiber of your being, you want as many players as possible to decide to come here and you want them to experience this. I’m excited that they’re going to be able to experience this.”
Mimi Colyer is central to the Badgers’ success. She ranks third in the NCAA with 5.39 kills per set and 0.66 blocks per set. Collier and Carter Booth will go up against Kentucky’s strong front line, which means Thursday’s game could be an exciting one.
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Schedule and viewing options
The national semifinals will air on ESPN and the national championship game will air on ABC.
Semifinals: Thursday, December 18
No. 1 Pitt vs. No. 3 Texas A&M: Live on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Wisconsin: 9 p.m. ET, live on ESPN