How A&M's improbable path forged a team primed to make history

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A familiar opponent. A different moment.

Texas A&M and Kentucky met inside Reed Arena over two months ago for the first top-10 volleyball match Aggieland had ever seen.

Now, the same SEC sides take center stage, with one to be crowned national champion on Sunday.

Falling in four sets on Oct. 8, the Aggies stumbled in their first opportunity against the Wildcats this season.

So what changed since October?

The short answer: A lot.

Since then, A&M won its final 11 regular-season games with nine sweeps.

The loss fueled them.

Kara Andrews, TexAgs

Reed Arena hosted was was then the fifth-largest volleyball crowd in program history on Oct. 8 as 4,469 turned out to watch Texas A&M take on Kentucky in a top-10 showdown.

After falling to rival Texas in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, the Aggies had plenty of time to narrow their sights on the NCAA Tournament.

Another loss focused them.

An opening-round sweep of Campbell reminded them of their dominance. A revengeful win over TCU reinforced how far they have come.

A reverse sweep of last year’s national runner-up Louisville displayed every ounce of grit and fight they had.

Then they walked into the most unforgiving arena in college volleyball and refused to shrink vs. previously unbeaten Nebraska. A&M stood toe-to-toe with a program built for December and proved they belonged.

Doused in celebrations and cheers upon returning to College Station, Jamie Morrison’s Ags were elated after slaying a giant.

Beyond the Big Red beast, another behemoth stood in their way. In their fifth straight Final Four appearance, the Pitt Panthers and superstar Olivia Babcock were eager to win the school’s first national championship.

Whatever hunger Pitt had paled in comparison on Thursday night.

A&M was hungrier. Starving, even.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In Jamie Morrison’s third year, Texas A&M went to back-to-back Sweet 16s for the first time ever...and then kept pushing to the program’s first Final Four, and on Sunday, the Aggies will play in their first national title match.

Another thunderous statement was made as the Maroon & White swept their way into the national championship game.

Later that event, Kentucky defeated Wisconsin in five sets to punch its ticket to the title match and setting up the first-ever all-SEC national final.

The Wildcats claimed the conference’s regular season and tournament crowns, but the Aggies are gunning for more.

The Aggies already beat all of the other No. 1 seeds at one point this season, so why not one more?

Why not take it all?

The motto “Why not us?” has permeated the A&M program, fueling the mindset that nothing is out of reach.

It has been a storybook run, but A&M faces one last challenge before reaching euphoria.

On the other side of the net, the Wildcats have been phenomenal all year, with their only losses coming from Nebraska and Pitt.

Against the Aggies in October, Kentucky dropped the first set but punched right back. 2025 SEC Player of the Year Eva Hudson recorded 24 kills, and 2024 SEC Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye added 19. The duo has powered the Wildcats to victory all season.

Scott Utterback/Courier Journal

Eva Hudson had a season-best 29 kills in Kentucky’s five-set win over Wisconsin on Thursday.

As for the Aggies, they are playing their best volleyball right now. Hitting at a .383 clip on Thursday vs. a No. 1 seed, that kind of fiery offense can take care of anyone on any given night.

So, yes, the opponent is familiar, but this is a very different A&M team Kentucky will face when the stakes have never mattered more.

The roster is unchanged, but the Aggies’ improbable path to Sunday is unlike anything any other team has faced. A&M’s journey has created a monster tempered by fire.

Look beyond the team’s story, and take a peek at the individuals who make up this team.

Forced into medical retirement at Baylor after numerous concussions, Kyndal Stowers was on her couch during last year’s Final Four. She found a new home at A&M, was medically cleared and has rocked her Q-Collar during a stellar sophomore season.

Fourth-year Aggies Logan Lednicky, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Ava Underwood and Lexi Guinn were on a 2022 squad that finished 11th in the SEC. They stayed and believed in a man who had never been the head coach at the collegiate level.

Five others joined in, creating a rare class of nine seniors. 

Morrison was passed on by plenty of Division I schools until A&M took a risk and hired him on Dec. 16, 2022.

It’s all improbable, and yet every step has led him and his Aggies here.

They have been the reason for a whole lot of heartbreak around the country. Don’t expect them to have sympathy now.

Their desire to win has reached new heights, and the path to glory has never been clearer.

All that stands between them and history is one final push.