Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky combined for 34 points to lead Texas A&M to a 29-27, 25-21, 25-20 sweep of Pittsburgh on Thursday, punching its ticket to the national championship game in women’s volleyball.
Stowers led the way with 18 points and 16 kills on a 53% kill rate, and Lednicky had 16 points and 14 kills on a 45% kill rate. It was Lednicky’s 22nd consecutive match with double-digit kills. Maddie Waak had 47 assists.
The No. 3-seeded Aggies (28-4) reached the final for the first time in program history after never having advanced beyond the final eight. It’s the second No. 1 seed the Aggies have defeated in the tournament after stunning previously undefeated Nebraska in a regional final. Texas A&M also knocked off No. 2 seed Louisville.
Pitt had not been swept this season before Thursday.
Olivia Babcock, a finalist for American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year, led the Panthers (30-5) with 25 points, finishing with 22 kills and a 54% kill rate. No other Panthers player had double-digit points. Brooke Mosher had 31 assists.
Texas A&M will play Kentucky, a five-set winner over Wisconsin in the late semifinal, in Sunday’s final.
Kentucky outlasts Wisconsin
Eva Hudson had 31 points, leading Kentucky to a 12-25, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13 win over Wisconsin.
Hudson, a finalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year, carried the No. 1-seed Wildcats (30-2) with 29 kills on a 53% kill rate, including the final kill of the game. Brooklyn Delaye added 18 points and a team-high five blocks. Kassie O’Brien had 54 assists, and Molly Tuozzo had 17 digs.
The No. 3-seeded Badgers (28-5) dominated the first set with a 68% hitting rate, but the following sets were tightly contested.
The Badgers were led by Mimi Colyer, a fellow finalist for player of the year, who tallied 32 kills on a 46% kill rate. Carter Booth had 21 at a 70% kill rate to go with a game-high six blocks. Charlie Fuerbringer led all players with 63 assists, and Grace Egan had a team-high 15 digs.
It was the 27th consecutive win for the Wildcats, who won a ninth consecutive SEC title this season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
