Volleyball Cats Still Have Goal Within Reach
Prior to the 2025 season, and even as the season went on, the Kentucky volleyball team made it clear that they had national championship aspirations. The Cats, including Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Eva Hudson, have not shied away from their goals all season.
“This dream honestly started in January,” Hudson said. “We had one goal throughout the whole season. The SEC tournament and (regular season titles) are all great, but we have one goal and that’s to win a national championship. So, it’s really cool that we’re one step closer, but we have more work to do.”
Hudson believes that the very solid connection that she and her teammates have between each other is one reason UK has been so good this season.
“I think it’s just the connection we have off the court,” Hudson said. “We absolutely love one another. All of us live together, so we’re together 24/7.”
The next step toward reaching that goal comes this week, as the Cats are heading to Kansas City, where they will face Wisconsin in the national semifinals on Thursday. Hudson and her teammates are planning on enjoying the Final Four experience.
“We’re just really excited, honestly,” Hudson said. “I don’t think any of us have been to the Final Four before, so just trying to soak in the experience.”
UK head coach Craig Skinner was asked why he thinks his team could bring another national championship back to Lexington.
“Talent is the starting line when you talk about winning championships,” Skinner said. “Then it becomes all the little things, the intangible things, the standard that you play to each and every day. The way you celebrate teammates’ success as well as your own and just give yourself to the team. I think when teams basically surrender whatever stats or whatever good they make out if it individually for the betterment of the people around them then you have a chance. This team has done that all year long and we’ll fight to the bitter end.”
Skinner won the 2020 NCAA title with another talented group of Cats. He sees some similarities between the 2020 squad and this year’s group.
“The desire, the willingness to give to each other and just play for the name on the front of the jersey is very similar to the 2020 group,” Skinner said. “Physical talent, both teams have an abundance of. The first contact of our team defensively and serving and serve receive is elite like it was then. This team doesn’t look at the first point or the last point any differently. They just play them all the same.”
Skinner believes that his team has experienced just about every possible scenario this season, although Thursday will be something different for the Cats.
“I think just the experiences of playing different styles, different ways of scoring from different teams, has put us in some positions where there shouldn’t be much that we’re surprised about,” Skinner said. “There’s just not a whole lot of situations we haven’t been in. We’ve been able to create some balance, different ways of scoring. I think we’ve been there but Thursday will provide a whole new feeling because we haven’t played in the Final Four yet.”
Hudson believes that Kentucky is peaking at just the right time.
“Each day, this team gets better and better,” Hudson said. “We’re just trying to take it one game at a time and really fall back on our fundamentals.”
The Cats are two steps away from reaching their season-long goal. But taking it one step at a time is the most important thing Kentucky can do this week in Kansas City.
