Kentucky basketball is off until Saturday, which means the biggest stage in Lexington this week belongs to Craig Skinner’s squad. Kentucky volleyball has swept its way into the Final Four and now sits two wins away from another national title, with a national semifinal showdown against Wisconsin up next in Kansas City.
Remember that gauntlet Craig Skinner laid out in the preseason and non-conference? Well it has paid off huge.
How to watch Kentucky vs Wisconsin volleyball in the Final Four
Time: 9:00 PM EST (30 minutes after the first match
Date; Thursday December 18th
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Kansas City, MO
Streaming: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Blue & Orange Plan)
Channel: ESPN
The Wildcats and Badgers will meet in the second match of Thursday’s doubleheader. Texas A&M and Pitt open the night, and Kentucky–Wisconsin will start roughly 30 minutes after that one ends. The semifinal will air on ESPN, with streaming available through the ESPN app and WatchESPN for anyone with a valid cable or streaming login. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship match, which will be broadcast on ABC.
Kentucky comes in looking every bit like a No. 1 seed. The Cats have dropped just one set all tournament, rolling through Wofford, No. 8 UCLA, Cal Poly and No. 3 Creighton behind a balanced, efficient attack and a defense that hasn’t blinked in big moments. They’re also the highest-seeded team left in the field after Nebraska was stunned at home by Texas A&M in five sets, which only raises the stakes for what’s ahead.
Wisconsin, though, is no underdog story. The Badgers have been on a giant-slaying run of their own, sweeping Eastern Illinois and North Carolina before knocking off No. 2 Stanford and No. 1 Texas. They’re long at the net, physical on the block and perfectly comfortable dragging opponents into long, grinding rallies. This is the kind of matchup where every sideout feels like a mini-breakthrough.
History hasn’t been kind to Kentucky in this series. The Wildcats are 0–2 all-time against Wisconsin and have taken just one set across those meetings. The last time they played, in 2022 in Lexington, the Badgers swept Kentucky on its home floor. If the Cats want a shot to play for it all, they’ll have to go through a program they’ve never beaten, on the biggest stage the sport offers.
So Thursday night is simple: no overlapping Kentucky hoops, a Final Four berth already secured, and 60 feet of hardwood in Kansas City standing between this team and another chance at a banner. If you’re looking for something to fill the midweek sports void, this is the one to lock in on.
Cats by 90!!!!!!!!