- - 2025 NCAA volleyball championship preview: Time, starters, X-factors

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY December 19, 2025 at 6:39 AM

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And then there were two.

The field of 64 teams in the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament is down to the championship with the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats and No. 3 seed Texas A&M Aggies remaining. They will face off in the first all-SEC national championship game on Sunday, Dec. 21 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Texas A&M is looking to take its best season in program history even further. The Aggies are vying for their first title in their first championship appearance after upsetting No. 1 overall seed Nebraska and No. 1 Pitt in the Elite Eight and Final Four, respectively. Meanwhile, Kentucky is looking to win its second title and first since 2020 after getting past No. 3 Wisconsin in a thrilling five-set semifinal win.

Here's a preview of the national championship, including lineups and X-factors to keep an eye on:

1 / 10NCAA volleyball Final Four tips off in Kansas CityA general view of the court during the first set between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Pittsburgh Panthers in a 2025 NCAA WomenÕs Volleyball Championship semifinal match at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. on Dec. 18, 2025.When is NCAA volleyball national championship game?

No. 3 Texas A&M will face off against No. 1 Kentucky in the national championship game on on Sunday, Dec. 21 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Kentucky Wildcats starting lineup

Head coach: Craig Skinner

6 Kassie O'Brien | S 6-1 - Freshman

7 Eva Hudson | OH 6-1 - Senior

10 Kennedy Washington | MB 6-0 - Sophomore

11 Molly Berezowitz | DS 5-5 - Junior

12 Molly Tuozzo | L 5-7 - Junior

15 Lizzie Carr | MB 6-6 - Redshirt Junior

17 Brooklyn DeLeye | OH 6-2 - Junior

X-factor: Brooklyn Deleye, outside hitter

It's unusual to list an AVCA First-team All-American as an X-factor, but Brooklyn Deleye's performance will be paramount against the streaking Aggies. Kentucky got off to a slow start in the first set of their Final Four win over No. 3 Wisconsin — suffering their worst deficit in a set since 2018 — due in part to Deleye's early struggles. She hit 15 kills on 50 total attempts, but her dismal .160 hitting percentage marked her third-lowest of the season. The Wildcats and Deleye must come out strong in the national championship and cannot afford to get behind the Aggies.

Kentucky outside hitter Brooklyn Deleye (17) celebrates after a point during the first set against Wisconsin.Texas A&M Aggies starting lineup

Head coach: Jamie Morrison

37 Kyndal Stowers | OH 5-11 - Sophomore

1 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla | MB 6-2 - Senior

2 Addi Applegate | L/DS 5-5 - Freshman

9 Logan Lednicky | OPP 6-3 - Senior

12 Ava Underwood | L/DS 5-7 - Senior

16 Maddie Waak | S 5-10 - Senior

X-factor: Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, middle blocker

Ifenna Cos-Okpalla is a 2025 AVCA First-Team All-American for a reason. The 6-foot-2 senior middle blocker has been an iron wall this postseason. She leads the Aggies with 195 total blocks and 1.70 blocks per set, which ranks third-best in the nation. Cos-Okpalla has averaged 7.2 blocks for the Aggies in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and her pressure at the net helped

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NCAA volleyball championship preview: Time, starters, X-factors

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