Kentucky Volleyball Was a Team of Comebacks, but Texas A&M Never Let Them Get 'Into That Rhythm'

Kentucky volleyball’s 2025 team was often defined by remarkable comebacks. However, when Kentucky needed one more comeback in the national title game, it never came.

Just a few days ago, Kentucky won a five-set thriller vs. Wisconsin in the Final Four after losing the first set 12-25 and falling down 2-1 after three sets. There’s even the October matchup against Texas A&M, where Kentucky lost the first set 21-25 before winning the next three sets.

“We’ve proved in and out of this season that we can come back from anything,” senior outside hitter Eva Hudson said. “We were kind of waiting for something to flip within the team. We just kind of never got into that rhythm.”

Kentucky ‘Did Everything to Prepare Themselves’

Texas A&M dominated Sunday’s national championship match from start to finish, but if you ask Kentucky head coach Craig Skinner, that wasn’t any indictment on UK’s preparation. The Cats were ready, despite the result.

“They did everything, everything to prepare themselves for this match,” Skinner said. “They were ready. They were locked in. They did all the things they normally do. They didn’t seem nervous, anxious prior to the match.”

However, sometimes it’s more about execution than preparation. In a 3-0 match, Texas A&M executed.

“Unfortunately, this is life. You do everything right, you do all the right actions, you do everything possible to give yourself the best chance for success, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way,” Skinner said. “If you let that stop you, then you’ve lost. This team will not stop, they will not stop working, going for whatever they’re trying to achieve in athletics and in life. I couldn’t be more proud of this team because they did that every single day since last January.”

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