Kentucky’s reward for torching its side of the bracket? A date with the program it’s never beaten.
Wisconsin comes into the Final Four at 28–4, fresh off a brutal run through Eastern Illinois, North Carolina,
No. 2 Stanford, and No. 1 Texas. Meanwhile, Kentucky sits at 29–2 after sweeping Wofford, Cal Poly, and No. 3 Creighton and outlasting UCLA in four. This isn’t a Cinderella story on either side; this is blue-blood versus rising powerhouse.
On paper, it looks like strength-on-strength almost everywhere you look.
Why Kentucky–Wisconsin is a heavyweight clash of efficiency, blocking, and star power
Kentucky’s offense is built around a vicious one-two punch on the pins. Brooklyn DeLeye is averaging 4.69 kills per set on .289 hitting with 521 kills, while Eva Hudson is right behind her at 4.54 kills per set on .317. That’s 1,000+ kills of high-volume, high-efficiency scoring from the outside and opposite positions. The Cats are hitting .295 as a team with nearly 15 kills per set—elite numbers for this level.
Wisconsin counters with its own superstar in Mimi Colyer, who’s putting up 5.39 kills per set on .340 hitting with 566 total kills. She’s the kind of terminal scorer who can take over a set all by herself. Around her, Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew give the Badgers a massive, efficient middle presence, both are hitting .454 with more than two blocks per match, while Andrew sits at .371 with steady production at the net.
Both teams defend at an absurd level. Kentucky holds opponents to .180 hitting and just over 12 kills per set, with 2.47 blocks per set and 1,653 digs on the season. Wisconsin is just as nasty: opponents are hitting only .184 with 1.79 blocks per set against them and fewer than 12 kills per set.
Translation: this match is probably going to be won at the pins and in transition, not by easy side-outs.
Serving and first contact might be the swing factor. Kentucky has 137 aces and 225 errors on the year, while Wisconsin has 158 aces and 304 errors—both aggressive from the line but willing to live with some risk to knock the other out of the system. The question becomes: who handles that pressure better in serve receive? The Cats have just 79 reception errors across 111 sets; Wisconsin has 85 in 106. Both are tough to rattle, but Kentucky’s backcourt has been incredibly steady during this tournament run.
Setter play will be under the microscope, too. Kassie O’Brien is the engine for Kentucky, averaging 11.02 assists per set and helping spread the ball between DeLeye, Hudson, Lizzie Carr in the middle, and Asia Thigpen on the right. Wisconsin uses Charlie Fuerbringer as its primary distributor, and she’s been excellent at keeping middles engaged while still feeding Colyer in big spots.
From a narrative standpoint, it’s simple: Wisconsin has dominated the head-to-head, winning both prior meetings and dropping just one set total. Kentucky has never gotten over that hump. This time, the Wildcats come in as the higher seed and arguably the more balanced team, while Wisconsin carries the “we’ve been here” aura.
If Kentucky’s passers hold up and DeLeye/Hudson can win enough rallies against a big Badger block, the Cats finally have the firepower to flip the script. If Colyer goes nuclear and Booth controls the middle, Wisconsin’s size and experience could send Kentucky home again.
Either way, it has all the ingredients of a classic: superstar pins, elite setters, massive blocks, and a trip to the national title match hanging in the balance.
