Wisconsin volleyball schedules perennial powers for nonconference matches (2024)

alert topical

Dennis Punzel | Wisconsin State Journal
Apr 11, 2024
Apr 11, 2024 Updated Apr 17, 2024
0

Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield and players MJ Hammill, Izzy Ashburn and Sarah Franklin talk about what they will remember most from this season, which ended with a loss to Texas in the national semifinals.

The University of Wisconsin volleyball team will face at least six teams that were in last season’s NCAA Tournament during this season’s nonconference portion of the schedule.

And there’s a seventh likely to be announced before long.

The Badgers will participate in one of the early season highlight events Sept. 1-2 when they take on reigning champion Texas in a rematch of their national semifinal contest, then face perennial power Stanford in a previously announced event at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Texas, which overpowered Wisconsin and Nebraska in the NCAA Final Four in December, returns the core of that team led by tournament MVP Madisen Skinner. The Longhorns, who went 28-4 in 2023, have added All-American opposite Reagan Rutherford, a redshirt senior transfer from Kentucky, and setter Averi Carlson, a junior transfer from Baylor where she was a starter for two seasons.

People are also reading…

Who got paid — and who didn't — in Wisconsin's bonuses for football, volleyball, soccer

Stanford, which was 29-4 last season and lost to Texas in the Elite Eight, also has a strong returning group led by senior setter Kami Miner, a two-time first-team All-American.

Wisconsin, Texas and Stanford will be among the favorites for this season's national championship, along with Nebraska.

The Badgers then will travel to Waco, Texas, for the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge, where they will face TCU on Sept. 6 and meet host Baylor the following day. Minnesota will be the other Big Ten representative in the event, marking the fourth consecutive year for that foursome to gather. TCU was 17-15 last season, losing to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while Baylor went 17-13, falling to Kentucky also in the second round.

Wisconsin then will return home to play their last four nonconference matches at the UW Field House, including contests against two in-state rivals.

The Badgers will host Milwaukee on Sept. 10 and Marquette on Sept. 17. The Panthers were 21-12 last season, finishing third in the Horizon League, while the Golden Eagles were 21-11 on their way to the Big East title. They lost to Purdue in the second round of the tournament.

3 Wisconsin volleyball players training with Olympic gold medalists

Wisconsin will close the nonconference season Sept. 20-21 with matches against Troy and Texas A&M. Troy was 15-13 last season when it tied for first place in the Sun Belt Conference West Division. Texas A&M finished 16-13, losing to Texas in an NCAA first-round match.

“We want to make sure we have at least half of our nonconference matches at home,” coach Kelly Sheffield said. “And two others are in Fiserv, which is right down the road. There’s a lot of opportunity for our fans to watch a lot of really good matches.”

Chances are the Badgers will play another really good match to open the season, with details still to be completed for a road contest against another top program to open the season.

Sheffield said there also could be a scrimmage lined up to be played before the first match.

The Big Ten schedule is expected to be released in June.