No. 1 seed Kentucky women’s volleyball is back in the national championship game.
After suffering their worst deficit since 2018 in the first set, Kentucky bounced back to defeat Wisconsin in five sets, 12-25, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13, in the 2025 NCAA volleyball national semifinals on Thursday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kentucky will face Texas A&M in the championship, an all-SEC title game for the first time in tournament history. The Wildcats won the title in 2021. The Aggies are in their first Final Four.
Kentucky senior outside hitter Eva Hudson, a finalist for the 2025 AVCA Player of the Year award, finished with 29 kills on .455 hitting, none better than her final kill to win the fifth set and punch the Wildcats’ ticket to the championship game.
‘I just knew that I had to swing away. I wasn’t going to go out, not swinging,’ Hudson said of her game-winning shot. ‘I knew my teammates were behind me to cover me, so I was just going to give it my all.’
Kentucky last won the program’s only NCAA national championship trophy in 2020. Catch up with USA TODAY Sports updates and highlights of the Final Four matchup:
NCAA volleyball tournament score: Wisconsin 3, Kentucky 2
5th set final: Kentucky 15, Wisconsin 13
Kentucky’s defensive pressure had Wisconsin frazzled for the first time in the fifth set. The Wildcats went on a 8-1 run in the fifth set to take an 8-2 lead. Wisconsin responded with a 8-4 run to come within two points, 13-10. Kentucky went on to take the set and match on an Eva Hudson kill.
Wisconsin’s Mimi Colyer had a double-double with 32 kills and 12 digs in the loss. Carter Booth recorded a career-high 21 kills and six blocks.
4th set final: Kentucky 26, Wisconsin 24
With their backs against the wall, Kentucky won the fourth set 26-24 to force a decisive fifth set. The Wildcats were the first to the red zone, but Wisconsin fought off three set points to tie it up 24-all. Kentucky’s defense came through at the net and took the fourth set on back-to-back blocks.
Kentucky’s Eva Hudson recorded nine of her 23 kills in the fourth set. Brooklyn Deleye added 11 kills on an inefficient .136 hitting, while Asia Thigpen and Lizzie Carr each added eight kills.
Wisconsin’s Carter Booth has already set a new career-high with 18 kills, while Mimi Coyler is up to 29 kills.
3rd set final: Wisconsin 25, Kentucky 21
Wisconsin is back on top after winning the first set, 25-21. The Badgers ended the set on a 3-0 run.
The Badgers hit .386 in the third set, compared to .333 for Kentucky. Mimi Coyler leads Wisconsin with 22 kills on .395 hitting, while Carter Booth has tied her career-high with 14 kills and three blocks.
Kentucky’s Eva Hudson has 14 kills on .344 hitting, while Brooklyn Deleye added nine kills on .194 hitting.
2nd set: Kentucky 25, Wisconsin 22
Wisconsin dominated the first set, but Kentucky made some adjustments and came alive in the second set.
Kentucky jumped to a 7-4 lead over Wisconsin in the second, but the gritty Badgers surged mid-set to retake the lead, 20-18. Kentucky went on a 6-0 run to earn a set point, and despite Wisconsin fighting off two set points, Eva Hudson cashed in on the third set point to even it a set apiece.
‘We just got some breaks and we executed the serving,’ Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner said, adding that his team needs to serve tougher to get Wisconsin off the net. ‘The serve has got to pick up and our transition game has got to score some points.’
Wisconsin’s Carter Booth recorded 12 kills hitting .786 and Mimi Colyer added 10 kills on .318 hitting.
Kentucky’s Hudson is up to nine kills hitting .389.
1st set final: Wisconsin 25, Kentucky 12
The first set belonged to Wisconsin’s Carter Booth. The senior middle blocker recorded seven kills and two blocks hitting 1.000 in the Badgers’ 25-12 first set win. Mimi Colyer added seven kills.
Wisconsin hit .682 in the first set and held Kentucky to .056 hitting.
1st set: Wisconsin 10, Kentucky 3
Wisconsin came out red hot and jumped to a 10-3 lead after Carter Booth (5) and Mimi Colyer (3) combined for seven kills to start the first set. The Badgers are hitting 1.000 to start.
Carter Booth height
Wisconsin senior middle blocker Carter Booth is listed at 6-foot-7.
When is Kentucky vs. Wisconsin volleyball?
The second semifinal matchup between No. 1 Kentucky (29-2)and Wisconsin (28-4) will take place 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first semifinal between No. 1 Pitt and No. 3 Texas A&M on Thursday, Dec. 18 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kentucky vs. Wisconsin volleyball: Channel, streaming
Date: Thursday, Dec. 18
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. CT)
Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri)
Channel: ESPN
Stream: The ESPN App, Fubo
Kentucky Wildcats starting lineup
Head coach: Craig Skinner
6 Kassie O’Brien | S 6-1 – Freshman
7 Eva Hudson | OH 6-1 – Senior
10 Kennedy Washington | MB 6-0 – Sophomore
11 Molly Berezowitz | DS 5-5 – Junior
12 Molly Tuozzo | L 5-7 – Junior
15 Lizzie Carr | MB 6-6 – Redshirt Junior
17 Brooklyn DeLeye | OH 6-2 – Junior
Kentucky women’s volleyball roster
Eva Hudson stats
The 6-1 senior outside hitter was named the SEC Player of the Year after hitting .317 with 4.54 kills per set and 504 total kills on the year. She leads Kentucky’s offense, which is hitting .295 this year.
Brooklyn DeLeye stats
The 6-2 junior outside hitter is averaging 4.69 kills per set and hitting .289 with a team-high 521 kills this year. DeLeye is responsible for more than 564.5 points this year.
Kassie O’Brien wins AVCA Freshman of the Year
Kentucky setter Kassie O’Brien was named the 2025 AVCA Freshman of the Year, the first Wildcat to win the award, after averaging 11.02 assists per set this season.
Wisconsin Badgers starting lineup
Head coach: Kelly Sheffield
1 Una Vajagic | OH 6-0 – Redshirt Sophomore
7 Kristen Simon | L 5-8 – Freshman
15 Mimi Colyer | OH 6-3 – Senior
17 Alicia Andrew | MB 6-3 – Redshirt Senior
24 Charlie Fuerbringer | S 5-11 – Sophomore
32 Grace Egan | RS 6-1 – Redshirt Sophomore
52 Carter Booth | MB 6-7 – Senior
Mimi Colyer stats
The 6-3 senior outside hitter had 20 or more kills in nine matches this season, including 23 kills vs. No. 1 Texas in the Elite Eight and 27 kills vs. No. 2 Stanford in the Round of 16. She averages 5.39 kills per set.
Wisconsin volleyball arrives at T-Mobile Center
Kentucky volleyball arrives at T-Mobile Center
NCAA volleyball player of the year finalists
The 2025 AVCA Player of the Year shortlist was narrowed to four finalists on Monday: Pitt junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock, Wisconsin senior outside hitter Mimi Colyer, Kentucky senior outside hitter Eva Hudson and Nebraska junior setter Bergen Reilly.
NCAA volleyball transfer portal 2026
The 2025 NCAA women’s college volleyball tournament is down to the Final Four with Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Texas A&Madvancing to the semifinals, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next season.
NCAA volleyball past champions
2024: Penn State
2023: Texas
2022: Texas
2021: Wisconsin
2020: Kentucky
2019: Stanford
2018: Stanford
2017: Nebraska
2016: Stanford
2015: Nebraska
2014: Penn State
2013: Penn State
2012: Texas
2011: UCLA
2010: Penn State
2009: Penn State
2008: Penn State
2007: Penn State
2006: Nebraska
2005: Washington
2004: Stanford
2003: Southern California
2002: Southern California
2001: Stanford
2000: Nebraska
1999: Penn State
1998: Long Beach State
1997: Stanford
1996: Stanford
1995: Nebraska
1994: Stanford
1993: Long Beach State
1992: Stanford
1991: UCLA
1990: UCLA
1989: Long Beach State
1988: Texas
1987: Hawaii
1986: Pacific
1985: Pacific
1984: UCLA
1983: Hawaii
1982: Hawaii
1981: Southern California
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.