The Wisconsin volleyball team earned a No. 2 recruiting ranking for the four new names they added to the team’s class of 2026.
The four young stars, Audrey Flanagan, Kymore Scott, Lynney Tarnow and Halle Thompson, have a long list of accolades, including experiences with state and national championships and the USA Junior National Team.
During the signing day press conference, head coach Kelly Sheffield said their recruiting focus was finding right athletes to fit the specific needs of Wisconsin.
“There was just a very very small number that we thought would be a great fit for what we were needing,” he said.
Audrey Flanagan, outside hitter
Flanagan, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from California, comes to Wisconsin with two national team runs, including a gold win with the US Under-19 team in the Continental Championship.
Flanagan’s honors also include an AVCA First Team All-American, the 2024 Bay League Most Outstanding Player and the 2023 All-Bay League First Team.
While she was injured last year, Flanagan is now back to full strength and ready to go for Wisconsin.
“We’re getting a healthy player and one that’s going to have a huge impact for us,” Sheffield said.
Kymora Scott, middle blocker/right side
Scott’s ability to hit off of one foot appealed to Sheffield when he first saw her play. He compared her skill to the talents of former Badgers Megan Campbell and Devyn Robinson.
The middle blocker from Illinois was a bit out of the spotlight, Sheffield said, although her accomplishments speak for themselves.
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Scott is a two-time SWSC All-Conference player and ranked No. 4 in her high school’s history for overall kills (714) and most kills in a single season (288).
“We see her as someone who can be an elite slide attacker,” Sheffield said. “She is smooth with her attack and has the ability to be a very good blocker with how fast she can get off the floor.”
Lynney Tarnow, middle blocker
Tarnow has been coming to Badger volleyball camps since she was nine, so Sheffield said it just feels right for her to finally be signed at Wisconsin.
The 6-foot-5 middle blocker is also from Illinois and Sheffield highlights her physicality around the court.
“Lynney has the potential to be a very physical net presence,” Sheffield said. “She can hit well off of one or two feet with power and can take up a lot of space with her block.”
Tarnow will come to the Wisconsin team as an AVCA All-Region Player of the Year and the No. 1 rank in her position. The Illinois native has also been a part of the 2025 Under-19 National Team.
Halle Thompson, outside hitter
With the addition of Thompson, another outside hitter, Wisconsin is adding an elite back row attacker, Sheffield said.
Thompson is also ranked high for her region. Across the board, Thompson is No. 2 in regional rankings and position rank. From Texas, Thompson is a two-time Texas Division I Volleyball State MVP and Volleyball State Champion. She also has two seasons with the National Team under her belt.
“Halle is a fierce competitor,” Sheffield said. “She is very good for her age at the serve and pass portion of the game and plays the game fearlessly.”
While it took some extra effort in recruiting to get Thompson from Texas to Wisconsin, Sheffield said he’s very satisfied with the result of signing Thompson.
“No matter how much depth we have or how much experience, we’re going after people that have big dreams and big goals,” Sheffield said.
In previous years, Wisconsin signed more players, but Sheffield said the landscape of the transfer portal is decreasing the need to collect younger athletes. In 2024, the Badgers signed on six new players. In 2025, that number dropped to four.
“There’s that element of bringing in some young players and mixing them with some elite college-ready transfers,” Sheffield said. “And hopefully you can stay in the ball game every year.”
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