December. The month of the NCAA Volleyball Championship. Teams went dancing. The final waltz? Two SEC teams battle for the first time for the National title. The No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies face the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats for the National title on Dec. 21.

While some think the SEC is elitist or overrated, the Volleyball tournament did not disappoint fans.

In the heart of Kansas City, T-Mobile Center is booming with whistles, setters calling their sets, and many passionate fans screaming. Collegiate volleyball has drastically grown in popularity in recent years, especially in the dominant seasons of the Big 1o leader Nebraska Cornhuskers. One of the most notable events in the decade: Memorial Stadium, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and a record-breaking 92,003 in attendance.

Texas A&M is fighting for its first championship after defeating No. 1 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers (33-1) in the Elite Eight on Dec. 13 and No. 1 seed Pitt (30-5) in the National Semifinals on Dec. 18.

Kentucky’s most recent championship was in 2020, with a completely different environment due to COVID-19. The Wildcats now face a crowd full of Aggies and must shut out all distractions to compete and win.

Here’s the game breakdown.

1st set went to the Aggies. With a final score of 26-24, the competition is fierce. Outside hitter Kyndal Stowers had four kills and two digs, hitting .333. Kentucky had 16 total kills and only three hitting errors.

The 2nd set went to the Aggies, with a final score of 25-25. Texas A&M dominated the Wildcats, keeping them below 20. Outside powerhouse hitter for Kentucky and Purdue transfer Eva Hudson did not perform as usual, hitting 0.000 for the majority of the game, and the team’s overall pct was 0.067. Opposite Logan Lednicky had eight kills and four digs. Libero Ava Underwood had nine digs. Setter Maddie Waak had 18 assists and four digs.

3rd set and the National Championship went to Texas A&M and the Aggies. With a final score of 25-20, the Aggies swept the Wildcats and are the 2025 National Champs. Throughout the game, TAMU’s hitting percentage increased with every set, from 0.205 to 0.273 and then to 0.286. Kentucky’s 3rd set hitting pct was 0.423; however, the game average was 0.148, reflecting the outcome. They also had nine total service errors.