No. 3 seed Texas A&M swept No. 1 seed Pitt, 29-27, 25-21, 25-20, in the 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four on Thursday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the first time Pitt has been swept all year. The Aggies will make their first national championship appearance on Sunday (3:30 p.m., ESPN).
Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison, who was named the 2025 AVCA Coach of the Year earlier Thursday, said his team has a ‘bunch of grit and a bunch of belief, and that’s in one another. That’s in our entire group. We believe in it. We believe in each other and we’re going for everything we have.’
Pitt and reigning player of the year Olivia Babcock has now fallen just short of the championship five years in a row.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M’s stellar postseason run continues by knocking out another No. 1 seed with a 16-kill performance by Kyndal Stowers. The Aggies also upset No. 1 overall seed Nebraska in a thrilling five-set match in the Elite Eight. Texas A&M will face the winner of No. 1 Kentucky and No. 3 Wisconsin.
NCAA VOLLEYBALL FINAL FOUR: Schedule, scores, highlights
Pitt ‘pissed’ after Final Four loss to Texas A&M
Pitt volleyball made it to the Final Four for the fifth consecutive year, but the Panthers are on the losing side once again. Panthers head coach Dan Fisher said he’s ‘pissed’ after losing in the national semifinal for the fifth year straight.“I don’t have great perspective on that right now,’ he said. ‘I’m proud of being consistently good, consistently in the hunt, but I’m pretty pissed off right now.”
NCAA women’s volleyball score: Texas A&M 2, Pitt 0
3rd set final: Texas A&M 25, Pitt 20
Texas A&M took a 17-13 lead in the third set, tying their largest lead. Pitt responded with a 5-1 run to tie it up at 18-all. But the Aggies won seven of the nine points to take the third set and sweep Pitt.
Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers had 16 kills on .433 hitting, while Logan Lednicky had 14 kills on .323 hitting.
Olivia Babcock had 22 kills on .463 hitting in the loss.
2nd set final: Texas A&M 25, Pitt 21
It may be Texas A&M’s first semifinal appearance in program history, but the Aggies have looked far from inexperienced. They took the second set over Pitt, 25-21, and are one set from the national championship.
Texas A&M trailed by four points, but the Aggies won 14 of the next 20 points to take the set. Kyndal Stowers (11 kills on .450) and Logan Lednicky (9 kills on .208) have combined for 20 kills.
Pitt must win the next set to keep their playoff hopes alive. Olivia Babcock has a game-high 14 kills on .379 hitting.
2nd set: Pitt 15, Texas A&M 15
Pitt went on a 8-0 run to take a 15-11 run. Texas A&M responded with a 4-0 run to tie it up at 15-all.
1st set final: Texas A&M 29, Pitt 27
Texas A&M is picking up where they left off. The No. 3 Aggies took the tightly-contested first set against Pitt, which included seven lead changes and 16 ties. No team had led by more than three points in the first set.
The Aggies had a 24-22 lead. A kill from Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky was initially ruled in to give the Aggies the first set 25-23, but Pitt head coach Dan Fisher used a challenge and the call was reversed to keep Pitt in the set and tie it at 24-all. The Panthers fought off four set points and even earned a set point of their own, but Texas A&M was able to cash in on their fifth set point.
Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers is up to nine kills hitting .727 with no errors.
Pitt’s Olivia Babcock has seven kills hitting .353. Blaire Bayless added six kills hitting .545.
What is Kyndal Stowers wearing on her neck?
The sophomore outside hitter was forced to medically retire her freshman season with the Baylor Bears after suffering four concussions in a matter of months. After taking a season off, she eventually entered the transfer portal, joining head coach Jamie Morrison and the Aggies in College Station, Texas.
Stowers was happy to have a chance at playing volleyball again, but she knew the concerns about her concussions would surface. That’s when she decided to bring in reinforcement, as part of a reenvisioned approach to her health and recovery. While practicing and in games, Stowers wears a Q-Collar.
Pittsburgh vs. Texas A&M underway
The first national semifinal matchup between Pittsburgh and Texas A&M is underway at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
When is Pittsburgh vs. Texas A&M volleyball?
No. 1 Pitt (30-4) faces No. 3 Texas A&M (27-4) on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. ET at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Pittsburgh vs. Texas A&M volleyball: Channel, streaming
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 18
- Time: 6:30 p.m ET (5:30 p.m. CT)
- Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Channel: ESPN
- Stream: ESPN, Fubo
NCAA volleyball Final Four TV schedule
Both national semifinal matchups will be held on Thursday, Dec. 18:
- Pittsburgh vs. Texas A&M volleyball: 6:30 p.m ET (5:30 p.m. CT) | ESPN
- Kentucky vs. Wisconsin volleyball: 9:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. CT) | ESPN
Pittsburgh Panthers starting lineup
Head coach: Dan Fisher
- 3 Emery Dupes | L/DS 5-6 – Redshirt Senior
- 5 Olivia Babcock | RS 6-4 – Junior
- 8 Blaire Bayless | OH 6-2 – Junior
- 10 Marina Pezelj | OH 6-1 – Freshman
- 13 Mallorie Meyer | L/DS 5-7 – Sophomore
- 17 Brook Mosher | S 6-0 – Redshirt Senior
- 20 Abbey Emch | MB 6-4 – Freshman
- 21 Bre Kelley | MB 6-4 – Redshirt Senior
Texas A&M Aggies starting lineup
Head coach: Jamie Morrison
- 37 Kyndal Stowers | OH 5-11 – Sophomore
- 1 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla | MB 6-2 – Senior
- 2 Addi Applegate | L/DS 5-5 – Freshman
- 9 Logan Lednicky | OPP 6-3 – Senior
- 12 Ava Underwood | L/DS 5-7 – Senior
- 16 Maddie Waak | S 5-10 – Senior
Olivia Babcock stats
The 6-foot-4 right side hitter already won 2025 ACC player of the year for the second straight season after setting career highs in kills per set (5.11) and digs per set (2.11) this season. She set a new program record with 45 kills vs. North Carolina on Nov. 2.
Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers shares personal triumph after 4 concussions
KANSAS CITY, MO ― On any given day, Texas A&M outside hitter Kyndal Stowers brings three different versions of herself to the court.
One version is very relaxed. The goal is simple: get out on the court, win and leave. Another version of Stowers is more stealthy, unsuspecting. She wins, but the opponents never see it coming. Then, there’s the version that boldly claims victory and lets the opponent know all about it. Every version of Stowers has been seemingly influenced by her journey back to the volleyball court.
NCAA volleyball player of the year finalists
The 2025 AVCA Player of the Year shortlist was narrowed to four finalists on Monday: Pitt junior right side hitter Olivia Babcock, Wisconsin senior outside hitter Mimi Colyer, Kentucky senior outside hitter Eva Hudson and Nebraska junior setter Bergen Reilly.
The winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 19, ahead of the national championship game on Sunday, Dec. 21 (ABC). Babcock, the reigning 2024 Player of the Year, could become the fifth player to win the award in back-to-back seasons and first since Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer in 2017-2018.
Pitt volleyball in Final Four: Can Panthers finally get over hump?
KANSAS CITY, MO ― Upon arriving at last year’s NCAA volleyball Final Four in Louisville, Kentucky, Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Dan Fisher received several commemorative Louisville Slugger bats.
Texas A&M’s Jamie Morrison wins coach of the year
Morrison, who is in his third season with the program, led the Aggies to a 27-4 regular-season record and a second-place finish in the SEC with a 14-1 conference record. Under his leadership, four Texas A&M players (Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Logan Lednicky, Maddie Waak, Kyndal Stowers) earned AVCA All-American honors this season. — Meghan Hall
NCAA volleyball transfer portal 2026
The 2025 NCAA women’s college volleyball tournament is down to the Final Four with Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin and Texas A&M advancing to the semifinals, but it’s never too early to look ahead to next season.
LOVB pro volleyball to add expansion franchise in San Francisco
On Thursday, the women’s professional indoor volleyball league announced it’s expanding to the Bay Area with the LOVB San Francisco franchise, bringing the total number of teams in the league to nine by 2027.
The second season will begin on Jan. 7, 2026, but the field of teams will expand from six to nine in 2027 during the league’s third season, with the addition of LOVB Los Angeles, LOVB Minnesota and LOVB San Francisco.
Who won NCAA volleyball championship 2024?
In 2024, Penn State hoisted their first NCAA national championship since 2014 after defeating No. 1 Louisville 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17 on Dec. 22, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first woman head coach to win a Div. I volleyball championship in NCAA history. The Nittany Lions weren’t able to defend their title and were ousted in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament.
NCAA volleyball champions by year
- 2024: Penn State
- 2023: Texas
- 2022: Texas
- 2021: Wisconsin
- 2020: Kentucky
- 2019: Stanford
- 2018: Stanford
- 2017: Nebraska
- 2016: Stanford
- 2015: Nebraska
- 2014: Penn State
- 2013: Penn State
- 2012: Texas
- 2011: UCLA
- 2010: Penn State
- 2009: Penn State
- 2008: Penn State
- 2007: Penn State
- 2006: Nebraska
- 2005: Washington
- 2004: Stanford
- 2003: Southern California
- 2002: Southern California
- 2001: Stanford
- 2000: Nebraska
- 1999: Penn State
- 1998: Long Beach State
- 1997: Stanford
- 1996: Stanford
- 1995: Nebraska
- 1994: Stanford
- 1993: Long Beach State
- 1992: Stanford
- 1991: UCLA
- 1990: UCLA
- 1989: Long Beach State
- 1988: Texas
- 1987: Hawaii
- 1986: Pacific
- 1985: Pacific
- 1984: UCLA
- 1983: Hawaii
- 1982: Hawaii
- 1981: Southern California
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