Kentucky volleyball advances to National Championship in dramatic five-set victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish. Kentucky volleyball proved that once again Thursday night, rallying past three-seed Wisconsin in a dramatic five-set victory to punch its ticket to the national championship match for the second time in program history.

After dropping the opening set in an ugly fashion, the Wildcats responded with grit and resilience, ultimately defeating the Badgers (12-25, 22-25, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13).

Wisconsin dominated the first set, hitting an incredible .682 with 15 kills and no errors, putting Kentucky on its heels early. But from there, the Wildcats settled in and began to look more like themselves, battling point-for-point to force a decisive fifth set.

Kentucky finished the match hitting .254, including an impressive .409 clip in the final set. Eva Hudson led the charge with a standout performance, recording 29 kills on 55 attempts to pace the Wildcats.

The Wildcats will face three-seed Texas A&M on Sunday. The Aggies earned their spot in the championship by sweeping Pitt, marking the first national title appearance in program history for Texas A&M.

The national championship will take place Sunday December 21st at 3:30 p.m. The match will be broadcasted on ABC 36.