KANSAS CITY, MO ― With No. 1 overall seed Nebraska out of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament, which one of the Final Four teams is in the driver’s seat? Actually, it’s anyone’s title for the taking.
For the first time in nearly 15 years, none of women’s college volleyball’s traditional blue blood programs (Nebraska, Texas, Stanford and Penn State) are in the Final Four. The Cornhuskers and Longhorns both lost in the Elite Eight, while the Cardinal failed to advance past the Sweet 16. The reigning champion Nittany Lions had an early second-round exit.
On Thursday, No. 3 Texas A&M plays No. 1 Pitt in the first of two semifinal matchups (6:30 p.m., ESPN). Both programs are seeking their first national championship. Following the Aggies-Panthers showdown, No. 3 Wisconsin takes on No. 1 Kentucky (9 p.m. ET). The Badgers and Wildcats have one national title apiece.With the pressure on to win a championship, let’s dig into the one question each team needs answered before their Final Four journey begins.
Will Pitt finally get over its Final Four blues?
It’s the elephant in the room for Pitt: Will the Panthers finally make it to a national championship? This year is Pitt’s fifth straight Final Four, and with every previous trip, the team has come up empty. Last season, the Panthers were the No. 1 overall seed and eliminated in the semifinals, 3-1, by the Louisville Cardinals. On Wednesday, head coach Dan Fisher and the team addressed their late postseason woes, but remained confident the experience would help them.
‘Since so many people have been here before, we were able to prepare the newer players coming into this experience what to expect,’ Pitt right side hitter Olivia Babcock said. ‘We’re also able to just remind them constantly … [to] stay locked in at the goal at hand. It is very easy to get distracted. I think those players are going to help our newer players be able to hone in on the task.’
Can Texas A&M shock the volleyball world again?
Over one million fans watched Texas A&M take down volleyball powerhouse Nebraska in the Elite Eight. The five-set thriller included a 10-0 Aggies run the first set, 10 Cornhuskers set points and three Texas A&M match points in the fourth set, plus two more Aggies match points in set five. Despite Nebraska throwing everything it had at Texas A&M, the Aggies dominated from the beginning. They slowed down Nebraska middle blocker Andi Jackson, leaned into their service pressure and blocking and forced the Cornhuskers to try beating them with anyone else.
Texas A&M’s arrival at the Final Four now begs the question: Can it pull off another massive upset against No. 1 Pitt? Aggies opposite Logan Lednicky shared the message she’s gave her team to keep them focused. ‘I think not letting all the cool stuff that is this Final Four kind of distract us,’ Lednicky said.’ I think [Texas A&M coach] Jamie [Morrison] has talked about a lot like, we’re here to play. That’s our job. So honing in, focusing in practice, tuning up all the things we need to get ready for the match [Thursday], then [the] match Sunday.’
Will Wisconsin’s win streak end?
Wisconsin has a 13-match winning streak coming into the Final Four. The Badgers’ streak, which dates back to the regular season, includes NCAA tournament wins against No. 2 Stanford and No. 1 Texas. After its 3-1 upset win over the Longhorns, middle blocker Carter Booth, who is the only player on the team with Final Four experience, said, ‘I refuse to f—— lose.’ Booth’s viral quote has become a rallying cry for the Badgers, propelling their confidence leading into the Final Four. However, will Wisconsin’s inexperience at this level end be an issue? Booth doesn’t appear to think so.
‘I’ve always been fiercely competitive … it just comes from a determination that this team has found to prove to people who we are, the work that we’ve put in this entire season,’ Booth said. ‘Coming into this tournament, we talked about the second you think something is owed to you is the second you lose ― the second your season is over. The other side of that is nothing is owed to anyone, which means anytime you step out there, it’s anyone’s game. It does have to be an active refusal or active search for a win, for a championship, as you move through this because it’s not just going to fall into anybody’s lap.’
Will Kentucky melt under the pressure?
The Wildcats have 10 straight wins, dating back to the regular season, over ranked opponents, including No. 8 UCLA and No. 3 Creighton during the NCAA tournament. The pressure to continue knocking off the best teams in volleyball becomes much more intense during the Final Four, begging the question: How will the Wildcats handle this environment?
‘The trust that we have in each other, ‘ Kentucky outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye said. ‘We all have been talking all year-round about our why: Why we continue to play, why we just love what we’re doing. I think that just has carried out through those big matches because there is so much pressure in those matches. I think just bouncing off one another has truly helped. It’s just fun.’
