Kentucky Kernel

12/22/2025

Kentucky volleyball’s season ended with a 3-0 loss to Texas A&M in the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

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Kentucky volleyball’s season ended with a 3-0 loss to Texas A&M in the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

12/21/2025

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball (30-3, 15-0 SEC) was swept by No. 3 seed Texas A&M (29-4, 14-1 SEC) in the 2025 National Championship. A historic run for the Wildcats that ended in heartbreak. Brett Ramsey and Jack Tobin were at the on site at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, to recap the match.

12/21/2025

This is the first national title for Texas A&M, joining Kentucky as the second team to win the national championship as a member of the SEC.

The Wildcats pulled out to an early lead in set one, but Texas A&M chipped away at it before forcing set point with its first lead before winning the set 26-24. Texas A&M took an early lead in set two and continued to grow it, winning set two 25-15. The Aggies gained a large lead early in set three and Kentucky was unable to come back, Texas A&M won the set 25-20 to complete the sweep.

The Wildcats kept themselves out of the match with tons of errors throughout. The Wildcats recorded 40 kills with a .148% hitting percentage, its lowest hitting percentage all season. Kentucky had 23 attack errors, nine service errors and two block errors.

Texas A&M wasn’t flawless but played much cleaner than Kentucky. The Aggies recorded 39 kills with a .257% hitting percentage.

The Wildcats will now head into the offseason, beginning preparation for next season. In 2026, the Wildcats will chase a 10th consecutive SEC regular season title, back-to-back SEC Tournament titles and another NCAA Tournament run.

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball (30-3, 15-0 SEC) was swept by No. 3 seed Texas A&M (29-4, 14-1 SEC) in the 2025 D-1 NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship. This is the first national title for Texas A&M, joining Kentucky as the second team to win the national championship as a member of the ...

12/21/2025

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball (30-2, 15-0 SEC) will take on No. 3 seed Texas A&M (28-4, 14-1 SEC) in the 2025 D1 Women’s Volleyball National Championship at 3:30 p.m. ET. Brett Ramsey and Jack Tobin are at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, to preview the match.

12/21/2025

No. 1 seed Kentucky and No. 3 seed Texas A&M will face off in the 2025 D-1 Women’s Volleyball National Championship.

Kentucky went on the road to defeat Texas A&M in four sets on Oct. 8. This was the only Aggies regular season conference loss.

Texas A&M was the only team with four players named to the All-SEC First Team with Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Logan Lednicky, Kyndal Stowers and Maddie Waak.

Kentucky was the only team with three members of the All-SEC First Team in Brooklyn DeLeye, Eva Hudson and Kassie O’Brien. Kentucky also had Molly Tuozzo on the All-SEC Second Team.

In the Final Four, Kentucky took down No. 3 Wisconsin in five sets. Wisconsin led in many important stats such as kills, assists and digs. Despite this, Kentucky won the match to advance to the national championship.

Since losing to Kentucky, Texas A&M is 16-1 with that loss coming against Texas in the SEC Tournament semi-final.

The championship match will take place inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

No. 1 seed Kentucky and No. 3 seed Texas A&M will face off in the 2025 D-1 Women’s Volleyball National Championship. These are three important things to look at heading into the match. The History- Kentucky went on the road to defeat Texas A&M in four sets on Oct. 8. This was the only Aggies...

12/21/2025

The Lexington Fire Department hosted a holiday toy drive to gift toys to children on Saturday, Dec. 20 in Lexington, Ky. The drive is a tradition for the fire department, bringing firefighters and community members together to support local families during the holiday season.

12/21/2025

Hudson transferred to Kentucky with one year of eligibility remaining. During her lone season with the Wildcats, Hudson emerged as one of the best players in the country, earning First Team All-American honors.

Entering the NCAA Tournament, Hudson understood that her college career could end at any moment.

Kentucky got off to a slow start in the Final Four match against No. 3 seed Wisconsin dropping the first set 25-12. It is rare for Hudson not to be the best player on the court, but in the opening set she struggled.

“I just think we came out a little timid, not knowing what to do in the first set.” Hudson said.
In set two, Hudson refused to let Kentucky fall into a 2-0 hole. She took control, recording six kills while contributing to four of the Wildcats’ final five points with either a kill or a block.

“I wasn’t going to go out not swinging,” Hudson said.

Now facing elimination, Hudson found her rhythm in set four. One more lost set would have ended her collegiate career, but with the pressure at its highest, she delivered nine kills on a .615 hitting percentage to lead Kentucky to win the set and even the match at 2-2.

Set five was win-or-go-home, and Kentucky leaned heavily on its star. Hudson recorded six kills in the deciding set, including a crucial kill to open the set. With Wisconsin serving to tie the set at 14, Hudson delivered again, sealing the set and ending the match with a kill to send Kentucky to the national championship.

After the biggest performance of her career, Hudson was at a loss for words.

“I can’t even have tears in this moment cause I don’t even know what’s going on, but I’m so happy to do it with this group,” Hudson said.

With her career on the line, Hudson’s performance propelled Kentucky to the national championship match, where the Wildcats will face fellow SEC opponent No. 3 seed Texas A&M on Sunday at 3:30 ET.

Eva Hudson transferred to Kentucky with one year of eligibility remaining. During her lone season with the Wildcats, Hudson emerged as one of the best players in the country, earning First Team All-American honors. Entering the NCAA Tournament, Hudson understood that her college career could end at....

12/19/2025

Holding a phone in one hand and the microphone in the other, Gael Diaz stands before the crowd, ready to speak.

With a steady breath, he read his final poem of the night.

“The other day, when the police sirens light up the street, a guy laughed and said they’re coming for Mexicans,” Diaz said. “Like the sound of the sirens could read my skin, like the light knew my name better than I do.”

As he read off a dimly lit phone screen, Diaz looked at the small audience and spoke from an experience he knew too well.

Holding a phone in one hand and the microphone in the other, Gael Diaz stands before the crowd, ready to speak. With a steady breath, he read his final poem of the night. “The other day, when the police sirens light up the street, a guy laughed and said they’re coming for Mexicans,” Diaz said....

12/19/2025

Gender-inclusive housing previously allowed transgender and nonbinary students to request roommates who were also transgender or nonbinary.

When the housing portal opened for the upcoming school year in October, students discovered the option was gone, without prior notice. They soon learned they could no longer change gender markers or pronouns in the university system, either.

STEMgiQueers Faculty Adviser Laura Letellier said the changes put vulnerable students at risk, particularly those whose scholarships require on-campus housing or who fear harassment or violence from unaffirming roommates.

“Throughout all of these events, it's been challenging because some of our students took that very personally. You're basically challenging their right to exist,” Letellier said. “Suddenly, now we're not only the object of hatred by just the average person, but we're the object of hatred by the federal government, denying our existence. And it feels like things have gotten worse and there's nothing I can do to protect my students from the fallout.”

UK officials say the move is necessary to comply with state and federal directives.

Lexington City Councilmember Emma Curtis said the university went beyond what the law demands, calling the decision “preemptive compliance” that creates safety concerns for transgender students.

Bluegrass Community and Technical College freshman “Bunny” is no stranger to unsafe living situations. Bunny, a 23-year-old transgender man who requested to be identified by his nickname for safety reasons, said his parents were not accepting of his gender identity and, after coming out at 16, h...

12/19/2025

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball advances to the 2025 National Championship with a win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

To see the full gallery, visit our website!

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball advances to the 2025 National Championship with a win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

12/19/2025

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball (30-2, 15-0 SEC) just advanced to the National Championship with an electric 5-set win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin (28-5, 17-3 Big Ten) in the Final Four. Brett Ramsey and Jack Tobin were inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, to breakdown the action

12/19/2025

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball (30-2, 15-0 SEC) advances to the 2025 National Championship with a 3-2 win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin (28-5, 17-3 Big Ten) in the Final Four.

This will be Kentucky’s second National Championship appearance in program history, with the first coming in the 2020-21 season when Kentucky took home the title.

Wisconsin dominated the first set from start to finish, taking a 1-0 match lead with a 25-12 win in set one. Kentucky used a 6-0 run late in set two to pull ahead and even the match with a 25-22 set two victory. The Badgers attack simply overpowered Kentucky again in set three, allowing Wisconsin to win the set 25-21 and take a 2-1 lead in the match. Kentucky fended off a late comeback attempt by Wisconsin in set four, taking the set 26-24 to even the match at 2-2 and force set five. Kentucky got out to a 8-2 lead early in set five before taking the set 15-13, winning the match.

AVCA All-American First Team member Mimi Colyer was the driving force behind a Badger attack that kept the pressure on all night. She led the match with 32 kills and had a .348% hitting percentage.

Behind Colyer, Wisconsin totaled 77 kills and hit .375% in the match.

The Wildcats powerful outside hitter duo of Eva Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye were the engine of Kentucky's attack. Hudson had a team leading 29 kills for a new season high and hit .455%. DeLeye added 15 kills of her own and led the team in blocks with five and digs with 14.

The Wildcats will take on No. 3 seed Texas A&M in the 2025 National Championship at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 5 p.m. ET.

It will be the first time in NCAA history that two SEC teams will face off in the National Championship. The Wildcats are the only team to win the National Championship as a member of the SEC.

The Wildcats went on the road to defeat Texas A&M in four sets on Oct. 8, 2025, en route to Kentucky's undefeated SEC run and ninth consecutive SEC regular season title.

No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball (30-2, 15-0 SEC) advances to the 2025 National Championship with a 3-2 win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin (28-5, 17-3 Big Ten) in the Final Four. This will be Kentucky’s second National Championship appearance in program history, with the first coming in the 2020-21 seaso...