The NCAA Women’s College Volleyball Semifinals are here! After perhaps the most eventful Sunday in national quarterfinal history, where we saw No. 1 overall seed Nebraska lose to No. 3 seed Texas A&M, and No. 1 seed Texas lose to Wisconsin, we are in for an exciting semifinal.
Pittsburgh is reaching the semifinals for the fifth consecutive time, something no other program has done before, but will this be the year the Panthers make it to the national championship game? Pitt’s Olivia Babcock, the reigning national player of the year, is a name that has been mentioned multiple times throughout the tournament as a must-watch player, but who else should volleyball fans keep their eyes on heading into the semifinals?
Our women’s college volleyball experts give their thoughts on four big questions ahead of the Final Four.
jump to:
main story , the most to prove
must watch player , title game predictions
What are the major stories heading into the Final Four?
Sam Gore: Pitt has incredibly made it to the last five NCAA semifinals, but is still looking for its first success at a national championship. Will the fifth time be the charm? Going into the tournament, Nebraska was the team to beat. Now that it has lost to Texas A&M, it looks like you can make a case for winning each of the remaining four. Each team has a Player of the Year candidate and several weapons. Kentucky leads the way, but you can never count Wisconsin out. Will Texas A&M become another NCAA Tournament Cinderella champion, or will Pitt take the next step and make ACC history?
Madison Fitzpatrick: Texas A&M battled two five-setters to advance to their first national semifinal in school history! The Aggies earned the No. 1 seed, defeated undefeated Nebraska, and displayed more courage and grit than I have ever seen in a volleyball team. Coach Jamie Morrison said he designed and built this roster to make it to Kansas City, and he was 100% right! Beware the world, A&M is on a mission.
Emily Ehman: There are many good ones. Can Pitt finally advance past the national semifinals in its fifth consecutive attempt? Can Texas A&M’s magic streak continue? Kentucky vs. Wisconsin will be a slugfest filled with heavy hitters. So then, who ultimately takes home the Player of the Year award? I also love how Kentucky’s Craig Skinner and Wisconsin’s Kelly Sheffield grew up together and have been lifelong friends.
Charlie Cream: Who doesn’t have an eye on Texas A&M? The win over Nebraska in the regional final was not only an instant classic, but one of the biggest upsets the sport has ever seen. As the page turns from Lincoln to Kansas City for the Aggies, questions naturally arise about what’s next. Will there be a hangover for A&M? Can the Aggies duplicate the focus and intensity they had to defeat the best team of the regular season? Is there anything left in the emotional tank? The underdog is always a story, and Texas A&M will once again seek that glory when they face Pittsburgh.
Michael Voepel: A big one is how the atmosphere of the Final Four changes without Nebraska and its massive fan base. The Huskers faithful last filled the arena in Kansas City at the Final Four, when Nebraska won the title in 2017. Lincoln, Nebraska, is only a three-hour drive from Kansas City, and that would have been the case at the T-Mobile Center this year if the Huskers had been playing.
Some Huskers fans will still come because they are big volleyball fans in general. But it won’t feel like a home game for Nebraska anymore. It will be more like a neutral environment, with all four teams having good fan followings — but not the overwhelming red wave of the Huskers.
Former Florida coach and ESPN commentator Mary Wise said Texas A&M’s 3–2 win over Nebraska in the regional finals could be the biggest win in NCAA Tournament history. I think he is right. Another recent spectacular win in the regional final also comes to mind: the freshman-led Stanford team’s victory in a reverse-sweep against Wisconsin on the Badgers’ home court in 2016. This led to the Cardinal group’s first of three national championships in four years.
It’s a different scenario because Stanford was already a long-established national power, albeit with freshmen leading the way, whereas Texas A&M’s group is led by seniors and has been to the program’s first Final Four. Also, Nebraska had a strong season this season and had not lost a home game in three years.
Charlotte Gibson: It’s been more than 72 hours, and the volleyball world is still recovering from Texas A&M’s 3-2 upset of previously undefeated No. 1 Nebraska in Sunday’s match. The Aggies booked their ticket to Kansas City for the event’s first Final Four. And nine seniors on the Aggies’ roster are headed to Kansas City. Texas A&M head coach, Jamie Morrison, said he was “not afraid of Nebraska” before their matchup. After beating the Huskers, there’s nothing to fear, right? It’s either win the championship or go home for the Aggies.
Who or what team has the most to prove in Kansas City?
gibson: When it’s your fifth consecutive appearance in the Final Four, you have something to prove. For No. 1 seed Pitt, this week’s Final Four showdown in Kansas City is more than just another notch on the belt — it’s a test of whether this team can win its first championship. In the semifinal matchup, it will be the underdogs (Texas A&M) versus the giants of the Final Four (Pitt).
Vopel: Pitt’s situation reminds me of LSU in women’s basketball from 2004-2008. During that time, the Tigers had future Hall of Famers Simone Augustus and Sylvia Falls and made the Final Four five consecutive years, but never advanced beyond the national semifinals. The Panthers are now in their fifth consecutive Final Four in volleyball and look to advance to their first championship match.
It looked like last season was Pitt’s year, but the Panthers faced the hometown crowd in Louisville against the Louisville Cardinals in the semi-finals and lost 3–1. But despite losing outside hitter Torrey Stafford, who transferred to Texas, the Panthers counted on Babcock to make another run at the national semifinals this year.
Everyone thought they would face undefeated Nebraska there, but instead, they would go up against upset specialists Texas A&M. This might seem like a nice break for Pitt. But considering how well the Aggies have played, the Panthers won’t underestimate them.
Gore: It seems like Pitt has a lot to prove, but not to anyone but himself. No other program has made it to the last five national semi-finals, so its legacy remains intact. However, you know the Panthers are eager to make a championship to continue their legacy of consistency with the ACC’s first national volleyball title.
Fitzpatrick: Pitt Panthers. This will be their fifth national semi-final, having yet to reach the final. Will this be their year? They have things to offer, but it won’t be easy against A&M.
Cream: pittsburgh. The Panthers have now made five consecutive trips to the Final Four. The last four finished in the national semi-finals and never made it to the finals. Last year, Pittsburgh entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, but lost in the national semifinals to a Louisville team it had defeated twice during the regular season. If Nebraska had advanced to the Final Four, the Panthers would have been expected to lose in the semifinals once again. Now, they are favorites against Texas A&M and need to perform well.
Ehman: Pit. It has now made it to the national semi-finals for the fifth consecutive time and has never gone further than that. Both Kentucky and Wisconsin have already won titles in the last five years, and most people did not even expect Texas A&M to get this far. Now it’s time for the panthers to escape!
Which players should we keep an eye on?
Fitzpatrick: Kyndal Stowers is coming off a career-high 25 kills for A&M against an undefeated Nebraska team. A year ago today, she was unable to play at all at Baylor due to four injuries. But she is back, better than ever and one of the most explosive players her head coach said he has ever seen. Now Stowers is ready to win it all with A&M!
Cream: Wisconsin’s Charlie Fuerbringer led the nation in assists per set during the regular season and has performed even better in the NCAA Tournament. Fuerbringer’s 61 assists in the regional semifinal against Stanford were a career high. His second-best assist total came two days later against Texas. Fuerbringer is also second on the team in digs per set. Its value cannot be underestimated. Three of the Badgers’ four losses came with Furbringer sidelined with a shoulder injury. They have not lost since his return.
Vopel: Kentucky junior Brooklyn Daley will play in the Final Four about an hour from her hometown of Topeka, Kansas. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter leads the Wildcats in kills per set at 4.69. She, along with SEC Player of the Year Eva Hudson, who transferred from Purdue, helped lead the Wildcats’ offense to a 15–0 record in SEC regular season play and league tournament championships. DeLeye is one of those electric players who can take over games.
gibson: Pitt’s 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter: Babcock. After winning ACVA National Player of the Year last season, Pitt junior Babcock is once again a finalist for the prestigious award. His accolades speak for themselves: 2025 AVCA First-Team All-American, 2025 AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, 2025 ACC Player of the Year, five 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors, 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year – just to name a few. Babcock recorded career highs in kills per set (5.11) and digs per set (2.11) this season.
Gore: There are many, but Babcock is the elite among the elite.
Ehman: Should I choose only one? If I had to do it, it would have to be Pitt’s Babcock. She is the National Player of the Year and a finalist for the award this year for good reason. She’s like watching a professional athlete play at the college level – she’s that good!
What is your championship matchup prediction?
Ehman: None of the matchups here would surprise me as the field is absolutely evenly matched. Although I’ll give the advantage to Pitt and Kentucky. First for Pitt because I’m not sure Texas A&M’s left side will be able to shut down Babcock, and Pitt has motivation after suffering heartbreak in this round four years in a row. Then Kentucky because not only can it compete with Wisconsin offensively, but it also has the defense to back it up. And once Kentucky’s Daley and Hudson get hot, there’s no stopping them!
gibson: It’s nervous to make predictions about the matchup after what happened on Sunday. And as much as I love an underdog story, I think we’ll see both No. 1 seeds, Pitt and Kentucky, in the championship. Pitt is no stranger to the Final Four. Kentucky is no stranger to championships. Both teams must first defeat Texas A&M and Wisconsin to remind volleyball fans why they are the standards in college volleyball.
Vopel: Kentucky won its NCAA title in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when all NCAA Tournament matches were played in Omaha, Nebraska in the spring of 2021. While the Wildcats certainly celebrated, it didn’t feel like a regular Final Four. Now they have that chance, and I think they’ll prevail 3-2 in a tight final against Pitt.
Cream: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin. With Nebraska out of the way, the path for the Panthers to finally reach the national championship game hasn’t been easy, but it has become clear. They have the best player in the country in Babcock. It was the same situation a year ago, but this time Babcock has fed fifth-year senior Brooke Mosher. Perhaps Mosher, who played at Illinois before this season, is the difference.
