Kentucky Set to Face Texas A&M in All-SEC NCAA Title Match
Since the NCAA began sanctioning a national championship in women’s volleyball in 1981, there have been six occasions in which the teams competing for the title were from the same conference. On Sunday, the seventh such match will happen.
Kentucky faces Texas A&M for the championship on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), making it an all-Southeastern Conference battle for the title. The previous such occurrences were in 1981 (USC vs. UCLA), 1984 (Stanford vs. UCLA), 1992 (Stanford vs. UCLA), 1994 (Stanford vs. UCLA), 2002 (USC vs. Stanford) and 2021 (Wisconsin vs. Nebraska).
This is a significant accomplishment for the SEC. Until this year, the conference only had three appearances in the championship match ever. Florida made it in 2003 and 2017, finishing as runner-up both times. Kentucky won the NCAA title in 2020. But this year, the conference was strong, with three teams in the Elite Eight and two in the Final Four, both of whom ultimately ended up in the title match. UK head coach Craig Skinner is not surprised that two SEC teams are in the finals.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that two SEC teams are playing for the national championship,” Skinner said. “The coaches in our league have worked incredibly hard to put ourselves on the map and to make the SEC a volleyball powerhouse. I also need to give credit to all the coaches and the grassroots of the Southeastern Conference to make that happen.”
Skinner saluted his fellow SEC volleyball coaches, who have improved their programs, making the conference schedule a true gauntlet.
“Kudos to the SEC and the coaches in our league for getting our conference in the position to be an elite league in the sport of volleyball in the NCAA,” Skinner said. “Proud to be part of Kentucky and the Southeastern Conference.”
Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison believes that a tough SEC regular season, followed by a conference tournament, has prepared these two teams to be in this position.
“We’re one of the most prepared teams in the country,” Morrison said. “Kentucky is the same way because they had the same path. I think it’s really good for our conference.”
The Cats and Aggies met on Oct. 8 in College Station. In that match, Texas A&M won the first set, but Kentucky rallied to win the last three to claim the victory. Eva Hudson had 24 kills and Brooklyn DeLeye had 19 for the Cats, who hit .293 in the match. Logan Lednicky had 21 kills for the Aggies and Kyndal Stowers added 13. Kentucky junior Asia Thigpen remembers that match, but also realizes that both teams have evolved since then.
“We beat them, but they had a really good offensive night,” Thigpen said. “That’s what we remember. We’ve seen their matches versus Louisville and Nebraska, just like their big block presence. They’ve grown as a team since then. We have, too.”
Kentucky freshman setter Kassie O’Brien echoed her teammate’s thoughts.
“Yes, we’ve played them in the past. Like we said earlier, both teams are completely different now,” O’Brien said. “A&M is playing really good volleyball, but so are we. It’s just going to be a great match and I’m looking forward to it.”
On Sunday in Kansas City, the SEC will make history and Kentucky hopes to bring a second national championship home to Lexington.
