Two things stand tall in Nebraska. The stalks of corn and Cornhusker volleyball.
But this weekend Texas A&M volleyball shocked the world and harvested the undefeated, No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 3-2 NCAA Tournament victory. After upsetting Nebraska in the Elite Eight and No. 2 Louisville in the Sweet 16, the Aggies are going to Kansas City, Mo. for their first Final Four trip ever.
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A&M prepares to face Pittsburgh, the ACC power that has appeared in the national semifinal every year since 2021. The winner of will play the winner of Kentucky and Wisconsin.
This is also the first time since 2011 that the Final Four has not featured Texas (who lost 4-1 to the Badgers), Penn State (reigning national champions), Nebraska or Stanford (the leader in volleyball national championships).
Texas A&M players celebrate winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players celebrate a final point to win the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M libero Ava Underwood (12) misses a return during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M outside hitter Emily Hellmuth steps up to serve during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M outside hitter Kyndal Stowers (37) tips the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Yell leader Kyler Fife hypes up fans during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game betweeen Texas A&M and TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players line the cour ahead of the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (1) and setter Maddie Waak (16) miss a block during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) tips the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison talks to outside hitter Emily Hellmuth (4) during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko watches the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M libero Tatum Thomas (3) misses a serve return during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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TCU libero Jaylen Clark (16) misses a spike during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M outside hitter Emily Hellmuth (4) is blocked by TCU setter Ella Foti (20) during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M plays TCU in an NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M outside hitter Emily Hellmuth (4) misses a return from a block during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) watches the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M setter Maddie Waak (16) dives for the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players celebrate a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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A Texas A&M fan watches the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M opposite hitter Logan Lednicky (9) and outside hitter Taylor Humphrey (11) celebrate a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M opposite hitter Logan Lednicky (9) yells as team mates dive for the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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From left, Texas A&M fans Jack Scofield, Owen Smith and Kaden Schwertner cheer during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M opposite hitter Logan Lednicky (9) spikes the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players celebrate a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M outside hitter Kyndal Stowers (37) blocks a spike during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M fans hold up signs after a block during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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TCU middle blocker Alexis Roberson (1) and outside hitter Becca Kelley (11) miss a block during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players celebrate a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (1) and outside hitter Emily Hellmuth (4) miss a block during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M libero Ava Underwood (12) dives for a serve return during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M setter Maddie Waak (16) and middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) block a spike by TCU outside hitter Becca Kelley (11) during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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TCU libero Alice Volpe (0) yells as a team mate dives for the ball during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) celebrates a score during the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players celebrate winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M players and fans celebrate winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (1) hugs libero Ava Underwood (12) after winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison talks to his players after winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) places the Texas A&M logo on an NCAA bracket after winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Texas A&M middle blocker Morgan Perkins (21) celebrates after winning the NCAA Division I volleyball playoff game against TCU at Reed Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Big Red volleyball won 31 straight this season, but they crumbled against the Aggies. How did A&M beat Nebraska and can that effort prepare head coach Jamie Morrison’s squad for Pittsburgh?
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Texas A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (1) steps up to serve during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Reed Arena on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Push the Panthers
A&M cruised to victory in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Campbell but had to battle against TCU in the next round after dropping the first set.
“I think it was good for us to get a little push,” Logan Lednicky said Dec. 6. “It’s not going to be an easy coast the rest of the tournament. So being squeezed a little bit there in the first was a good (test) and I think we turned it around pretty well.”
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All the Aggies have been doing since the tournament began is pushing teams, winning both their Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in five sets. Louisville took the first two sets from A&M after going on big runs but had no answer for the Aggies block or their dynamic shots. Nebraska had not been battle-tested like A&M, losing just nine sets through the season and NCAA Tournaments. Once the Cornhuskers found their footing Sunday, it was too late.
Pitt is no stranger to being pushed and have won some five-set matches; three of its four losses happened in five. In the NCAA Tournament, they lost just one set, their only dropped set in their last eight matches dating back to mid-November.
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Middle Blockers got involved
Nebraska middle blocker Rebekah Alllick had hot hands, finishing with 15 kills and four blocks. Her fellow middle, Andi Jackson, was quiet with only six kills and one block assist; she didn’t see the court in set five.
But A&M’s middles, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla and Morgan Perkins, combined for 17 blocks and 11 kills. Logan Lednicky got in on the block party with six, typically pairing with Cos-Okpalla. The senior dominated the front row throughout the regional and had a 12-block match against Louisville; four of those came during a crucial 6-0 run in set four.
Texas A&M middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (1) and opposite hitter Logan Lednicky (9) miss a block during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Reed Arena on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
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Pitt will attack the corners to stop Lednicky, Kyndal Stowers and Emily Hellmuth’s big swings. But using Perkins and Cos-Okpalla on offense creates one-on-one situations at the net that are hard to stop.
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The Aggies are preparing to face outside hitter Olivia Babcock, who leads the Panthers with 624 kills — the second-highest is Blaire Bayless with 310. Babcock is 6-foot-4 with a high contact point so middle blockers must know where she is.
Service pressure
Texas A&M went on a 10-0 run in set one against Nebraska thanks to Cos-Okpalla’s efforts at the service line.
Senior Taylor Humpfrey came off the bench cold against the Cornhuskers in the fifth set and her first serve led to a long pass from Nebraska to set up an Aggies point.
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Nine aces against the Cornhuskers were key; a powerful serve can do just as much damage as a kill because it forces teams to play out of system. If a team is out of system, they may need a moment to reorganize or find a quality swing.
For an Aggies team averaging 1.31 aces per set, (260th in the country) the service line could be the difference maker in the match.
Texas A&M takes on Pitt at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.
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