KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 3 seed Texas A&M volleyball team squares off with No. 1 seed Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament National Championship Sunday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center with first serve set for 2:30 p.m.
The Aggies kept their historic campaign alive after downing their second-straight No. 1 seed in the Pitt Panthers to book their spot in the program’s first national final. The Maroon & White battled into extras to take the opener (29-27), then followed on with a dominant showing in sets two (25-21) and three (25-20) to secure their 17th sweep of the year.
Texas A&M’s offense fired on all cylinders thanks to the direction of Maddie Waak. The setter dished 48 assists in the contest which was a postseason program record in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era. Waak’s pins delivered the blows as Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky accounted for 30 kills with 16 and 14, respectively. The team’s efficiency stood out on the box score, as the group hit at .382 which marked the 13th time over .300 this season.
On the defensive end the nation’s premier middle blocker, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, continued to be a force at the net, recording five blocks in the contest which marked her fifth-straight game with five or more and 19th this season.
The Matchup
Sunday’s contest between Texas A&M and Kentucky will be the first the 28th all-time meeting between the teams. The Wildcats hold a 17-10 advantage in the series, however the Maroon & White are 2-0 when the team’s meet on a neutral court.
Kentucky has claimed the last four battles between the teams, including a four-set affair in Reed Arena this season which was the Aggies’ only conference loss on the year.
Looking at the stat sheet, the Maroon & White lead Kentucky in four of the seven team statistical categories including hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, aces per set and blocks per set, while the Wildcats have the advantage in kills per set, assists per set and digs per set.
Tracks and Trends
Logan Lednicky has recorded double-digit kills in her last 22 matches and passed Hollann Hans for the rally-scoring kills record and ranks third overall in career kills at Texas A&M.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has logged five or more blocks in her last six games and is one blocks away from tying the program record for career blocks of 562. She is also five blocks from reaching 200 on the year.
Texas A&M became just the third No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament history to dispatch two No. 1 seeds, joining UCLA in 2011 and Nebraska in 2021.
Streaming & Stats
Fans can watch the match on the ABC and follow stats on 12thman.com.
Follow the Aggies
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
The Aggies kept their historic campaign alive after downing their second-straight No. 1 seed in the Pitt Panthers to book their spot in the program’s first national final. The Maroon & White battled into extras to take the opener (29-27), then followed on with a dominant showing in sets two (25-21) and three (25-20) to secure their 17th sweep of the year.
Texas A&M’s offense fired on all cylinders thanks to the direction of Maddie Waak. The setter dished 48 assists in the contest which was a postseason program record in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era. Waak’s pins delivered the blows as Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky accounted for 30 kills with 16 and 14, respectively. The team’s efficiency stood out on the box score, as the group hit at .382 which marked the 13th time over .300 this season.
On the defensive end the nation’s premier middle blocker, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, continued to be a force at the net, recording five blocks in the contest which marked her fifth-straight game with five or more and 19th this season.
The Matchup
Sunday’s contest between Texas A&M and Kentucky will be the first the 28th all-time meeting between the teams. The Wildcats hold a 17-10 advantage in the series, however the Maroon & White are 2-0 when the team’s meet on a neutral court.
Kentucky has claimed the last four battles between the teams, including a four-set affair in Reed Arena this season which was the Aggies’ only conference loss on the year.
Looking at the stat sheet, the Maroon & White lead Kentucky in four of the seven team statistical categories including hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, aces per set and blocks per set, while the Wildcats have the advantage in kills per set, assists per set and digs per set.
Tracks and Trends
Logan Lednicky has recorded double-digit kills in her last 22 matches and passed Hollann Hans for the rally-scoring kills record and ranks third overall in career kills at Texas A&M.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has logged five or more blocks in her last six games and is one blocks away from tying the program record for career blocks of 562. She is also five blocks from reaching 200 on the year.
Texas A&M became just the third No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament history to dispatch two No. 1 seeds, joining UCLA in 2011 and Nebraska in 2021.
Streaming & Stats
Fans can watch the match on the ABC and follow stats on 12thman.com.
Follow the Aggies
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
