Texas A&M stuns Undefeated Nebraska, Reaches First Women’s Volleyball Final four
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A monumental upset in Lincoln, Nebraska, has sent shockwaves through the NCAA women’s volleyball landscape. Texas A&M defeated the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers in a thrilling five-set match on Sunday, securing their first-ever appearance in the Women’s Volleyball Final Four.
A Historic Upset in Lincoln
The Aggies, seeded third in the Lincoln regional, overcame a formidable opponent and a raucous home crowd to win 15-13 in the decisive fifth set, punctuated by Logan Lednicky’s 24th kill of the match. The victory ended Nebraska’s impressive 34-match winning streak and snapped their remarkable runs of 29 consecutive postseason home wins and 63 consecutive home wins overall. Coach Dani Busboom Kelly’s team was denied a 19th appearance in the Final Four.
Texas A&M (27-4) will now travel to Kansas City to face Pitt in a national semifinal match on Thursday. The other semifinal will pit Kentucky against wisconsin at the T-mobile Center, with the championship match scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21.
Aggies Overcome Early Deficit, Display Resilience
Coach Jamie Morrison’s team promptly asserted their dominance, stunning the Devaney Center crowd by winning the first two sets by identical 25-22 scores. Nebraska had previously won 54 of 55 sets at home this season before facing the Aggies.
However, the Huskers demonstrated their championship mettle, rebounding with a 25-20 win in the third set. The fourth set proved to be an instant classic, described by many as one of the most dramatic in NCAA postseason history. Nebraska battled back from an 18-11 deficit, ultimately notching 10 set points before finally securing the set on a kill by Virginia Adriano. The Huskers impressively fought off three match points during the extended rally.
“I think it might have been one of the most entertaining matches in the history of the sport,” Morrison stated.
In the fifth set, Texas A&M initially built a 12-8 lead, but Nebraska refused to concede. They staved off two more match points and came within one point of leveling the score on a kill by Harper Murray before Lednicky’s decisive game-winner.
“We’re this good,” Morrison emphatically declared. “They hadn’t been around a team that was going to stand up the way we did. We’re this tough. We’re this resilient. We’re this gritty.” Kyndal Stowers led the Aggies’ offensive charge with 25 kills, while Murray matched her with 25 for Nebraska.
Wisconsin, Pitt, and Kentucky Also Advance
The day also saw other significant results in the NCAA tournament. Another top seed and regional host,Texas,suffered a four-set loss against third-seeded Wisconsin (28-4). The Badgers, riding a 13-match winning streak, have shown marked improvement since the return of setter charlie Fuerbringer from injury last month and are headed to their seventh Final Four, having previously won the title in 2021.
Pitt (30-4) continued its impressive run, defeating Purdue in four sets on Saturday. The Panthers have now advanced to a national semifinal for an unprecedented fifth consecutive season – a feat unmatched since Texas achieved the same between 2012 and 2016. They are seeking their first national championship appearance, having fallen to Louisville in the semifinals last year. Reigning national player of the year Olivia babcock was named the most outstanding player of the Pitt regional.
Kentucky (29-2) completed a sweep of Creighton on Saturday,securing their place in Kansas City. Outside hitters Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson combined for 32 kills, leading the Wildcats who have won 26 consecutive matches and claimed both the SEC regular-season and tournament titles.
