The NCAA women’s volleyball tournament reaches its crescendo in Kansas City, where four teams with distinct stories and star power are set to battle for a spot in the national championship. The Final Four, tipping off Thursday at the T-Mobile Center, features a compelling mix of perennial powerhouses and breakthrough programs. The first semifinal (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) pits the No. 1 seed Pitt Panthers, making their fifth consecutive Final Four appearance, against the No. 3 seed Texas A&M Aggies, who are in the national semifinals for the first time in program history. The nightcap (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) features another No. 1 vs. No. 3 showdown, as the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Wisconsin Badgers.
The journey of Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers embodies the tournament’s unpredictable drama. A year after being medically retired from Baylor following four concussions, Stowers led the Aggies with 25 kills in a stunning five-set upset over previously undefeated and top-ranked Nebraska in the Elite Eight. Her emotional comeback, supported by extensive medical clearance and a protective Q-Collar, has been a driving force for an Aggies team overflowing with grit. They now face a Pitt volleyball program defined by consistency under coach Dan Fisher. The Panthers are led by junior right-side hitter Olivia Babcock, the reigning AVCA Player of the Year and a first-team All-American who is seeking to become just the fifth player to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
Adding a unique layer to the Pitt-Texas A&M clash is the deep friendship between its two biggest stars. Babcock and Aggies’ senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky were the only two college players invited to train with the USA Volleyball senior national team this past summer. They traveled the world together, pushing each other in an elite gym and forming a bond that transcends the high stakes of Thursday’s match. “When we walked in, I saw her in the hallway. We both screamed, gave each other a big hug,” Lednicky said. Babcock echoed the sentiment, calling Lednicky a player who makes her rise to the occasion. Their matchup features two of the nation’s most complete players: Babcock averages 5.11 kills and 2.11 digs per set, while the left-handed Lednicky counters with 4.09 kills and 2.68 digs per set.
The second semifinal is a heavyweight bout between Kentucky and Wisconsin, featuring two more Player of the Year finalists. The Badgers’ Mimi Colyer, a first-team All-American, has been on a tear, averaging 5.39 kills per set and posting 27 and 23 kills in wins over Stanford and Texas, respectively, to reach Kansas City. Wisconsin, the 2021 national champion, is in its seventh Final Four and has gone 11-0 since setter Charlie Fuerbringer returned from injury. They face a Kentucky team that has lost only two matches all season and boasts two first-team All-Americans of its own in outside hitters Eva Hudson (SEC Player of the Year) and Brooklyn DeLeye. For DeLeye, the trip is a happy homecoming to the Kansas City area, where she expects a large contingent of family and friends from her hometown of Topeka.
Individual accolades have poured in ahead of the final weekend. Alongside Babcock, Colyer, Hudson, and DeLeye on the AVCA first-team All-American list were Texas A&M’s defensive anchor, middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, who leads the nation in total blocks, and Nebraska’s trio of Andi Jackson, Harper Murray, and Bergen Reilly. Pitt also saw setter Brooke Mosher named a second-team All-American and middle blocker Bre Kelley earn honorable mention. The stage is now set for these stars to define their legacies. For Pitt, it’s about finally breaking through after four straight Final Four trips. For Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, it’s about seizing a moment they have fought all season to reach. The quest for the national title, to be decided Sunday on ABC, begins with two semifinals promising elite talent, raw emotion, and unforgettable narratives.