Kentucky Volleyball already knows what it looks like to beat Texas A&M. Back in October, the Cats walked into Reed Arena and handed the Aggies a four-set loss when they were ranked No. 9 in the country.
Now the stakes are just a little bit higher. Twenty-seven straight wins, one more banner on the line, and a rematch against one of the most physical teams in America.
First, a reminder of what happened last time.
Kentucky hit .293 as a team in that win, piling up 63 kills on 157 swings. Eva Hudson exploded
for 24 kills on .373 hitting, and Brooklyn DeLeye added 19 kills. Lizzie Carr was almost automatic in the middle, finishing with 11 kills on .588.
The Cats’ sideout numbers told the story. They were at 68% or better in each of the last three sets and closed it out 21–25, 25–22, 25–15, 27–25. Texas A&M hit just .205 and never really found a rhythm once Kentucky’s block settled in.
Can Kentucky’s firepower crack Texas A&M’s huge frontline for a second time?
This time around, Texas A&M is even sharper. The Aggies are 28–4 overall, 14–1 in the SEC (that lone loss is to the Cats), and they do just about everything at a high level. They hit .298 as a team with 14.6 kills per set. Their opponents hit only .187 and average 11.5 kills per set. They control the net with 2.61 blocks per set and are steady in the backcourt with 13.3 digs per set.
Individually, it starts with outside hitter Logan Lednicky and six rotation arm Kyndal Stowers. Lednicky has 456 kills, 4.11 per set, on .312 hitting, and still gives you over 2.6 digs per set with 98 total blocks. Stowers adds 375 kills at 3.5 per set on .281 hitting and 2.26 digs per set, plus 63 blocks. That is a ton of volume and a ton of pressure from the pins.
In the middle, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Morgan Perkins are a nightmare at the net. Cos-Okpalla is hitting .430 with 236 kills and a ridiculous 195 total blocks, about 1.7 per set. Perkins is at .420 with 95 blocks of her own. Setter Maddie Waak runs the show with efficient choices, and A&M’s offense rarely beats itself.
The matchup problem is obvious. Texas A&M’s front line will test Kentucky’s ability to terminate in tight windows and stay patient when rallies stretch out. The Aggies are used to winning the block battle and forcing teams into low-efficiency swings.
The good news for Kentucky is that this team is built to hit high-level blocks and has the numbers to prove it. The Cats are hitting .293 on the season with 14.86 kills per set, almost a mirror of A&M’s attack. Opponents are at .188 with 12.35 kills per set.
Kentucky’s firepower is relentless. DeLeye and Hudson are basically co-number one options. DeLeye has 536 kills at 4.62 per set on .284 hitting, plus 2.34 digs per set and 41 total blocks. Hudson has 533 kills at 4.59 per set on .323, 2.38 digs, and 49 blocks. You cannot load up on one without the other punishing you.
In the middle, Carr is the key. She is hitting .349 with 222 kills and 136 total blocks, 1.23 per set. When Carr is winning quicks and closing out on the edges, Kentucky’s defense goes up a level. Around her, Brooke Bultema and Kennedy Washington both hover around .260 hitting and are capable of stealing seams and putting extra stress on Texas A&M’s middles.
The first contact battle might decide everything.
Kentucky side outs best when libero Molly Tuozzo and the backcourt are in rhythm. Tuozzo is at nearly 4 digs per set with 456 total digs and has been nailing in serve receive most of this run. Molly Berezowitz gives them another steady defender and server. If those two control the ball, setter Kassie O’Brien can run her full menu and keep A&M’s block guessing.
O’Brien has 1,244 assists this season, 11.01 per set, and mixes tempo and angles as well as anyone in the country. When she has all three levels available, Kentucky becomes almost impossible to load up against. If she is stuck living on high balls to the pins, Texas A&M’s block has the size to tilt the match back their way.
On the flip side, Kentucky’s serve needs to make Waak uncomfortable. The Cats average 1.21 aces per set with 140 total, but the bigger thing is disruptive serving that drags A&M off the net just enough to let Carr, Washington, and company get hands on Lednicky and Stowers. Kentucky has 282.5 total blocks this year, 2.44 per set, and they just held Wisconsin’s high-powered attack in check by turning the fifth set into a wall. This has to look similar.
Texas A&M’s resume says they can win this match in a lot of ways. They have more than enough offense, they defend with discipline, and they do not hand out free points. But Kentucky has already seen its best shot, has already solved them once, and is playing with the swagger that comes from a 27-match win streak and a miracle comeback against Wisconsin that will live in program lore.
If Kentucky passes at even an average level, keeps its serve in play, and forces Texas A&M to hit into a loaded block over and over, the Cats will have every chance to finish the job.
Win this one, and it is 28 straight, another trophy for the case, and the kind of back-to-back run that redefines what Craig Skinner has built in Lexington.
🗓️ Date: Sunday, Dec. 21
🕐 Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
📺 TV Channel: ABC
📍 Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
📱 Online Streaming Through Cable/Satellite: ABC is included in most standard cable and satellite packages. Check your local listings.
Streaming Services: You can stream the game on services that carry local channels, including: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Orange Plan)
You may also be able to pick up the game over-the-air for free if you are near an ABC affiliate.
Odds: FanDuel has Kentucky favored by 1.5 sets. The Moneyline for Kentucky is -156, and for A&M, it’s +120.
Prediction: Kentucky rides the double-headed monster of Hudson and DeLeye to title number 2, Kentucky in 4 sets.
What say you, BBN? Send us your game prediction in the comments!
Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion. Go CATS!
