Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

Sports

SGAI, Live Sports Streaming, Scale, and Standardization

Published

on

SGAI, Live Sports Streaming, Scale, and Standardization

Server-guided ad insertion (SGAI), and the variety of squeeze-back and picture-in-picture (PiP) ad options it enables, creates great opportunities for brands to innovate and engage audiences in new ways, particularly for live sports events. But it’s still early days for SGAI implementation, and scale and standardization still pose significant challenges that old solutions and approaches won’t solve, as Ring Digital’s Brian Ring, SVTA’s David Hassoun, Fan Serv’s C.J. Leonard, and Eventually A Castle’s Andrew Baritz discuss in this clip from May’s Streaming Media Connect.

Benefits of Hybrid

Ring Digital llc Principal Analyst Brian Ring opens the conversation by calling SGAI by another name: hybrid ad insertion. He asks for a quick, top-level definition and how it could play out in terms of ad format standardization. 

Co-Chair of the SVTA Advertising Working Group David Hassoun speaks to the evolution of SGAI, beginning with client-side ad insertion (CSAI) and server-side ad insertion (SSAI), which provided a better experience and more reach. “No longer is just the basic linear ad solution really going to solve for the problems” surrounding ad opportunity options in streaming, he says, noting that one of the major benefits of hybrid is that it “takes a little bit of server-side and brings that experience down to the client. It lets the server guide it to make it so it’s noncritical path.” 

Hybrid “doesn’t break the whole stream as it can with server-side ad solutions, but [it] allows you to get that nice, seamless experience but also have more options for better experiences,” Hassoun adds. “So you can do non-linear ads, those overlays, those pullbacks, the PiPs, [and] the L-bars, and that’s the big driver” of hybrid.

Hybrid in Sports Streaming

Ring brings sports into the conversation, saying that as a baseball fan, he can see a pitching change being sponsored by, for example, Speedy Oil Change. He asks Fan Serv VP of Publisher Operations C.J. Leonard to confirm that SGAI/hybrid is built for sports. 

C.J. Leonard agrees, saying she works with sales channels that are hyper-focused on live local sports. “They have the demand, they have buyers asking for L-bars, squeeze backs, things like that,” she explains. Leonard goes on to cite vendors that provide individualized solutions, such as Transmit or Harmonic, although she stresses that she doesn’t want to promote any particular vendor over another. 

Leonard describes an issue with L-bars and squeeze backs being that “you’re not in the break. When you move out of the break and into the actual HLS of the game, there’s challenges there that are arising. So we’re excited to see—buyers are excited to see—this [new ad option] come about.” She recently watched a Rockies-Phillies game that had in-broadcast ads for Rally House, and she says deciding where to insert ads is an early-days challenge for live local sports. Another challenge is teams having their own technology that isn’t compatible with broadcast when they release individual direct-to-consumer (D2C) apps outside of, say, MLB TV or the League Pass. “[Y]ou’re going to have splintered fragmentation around implementation” because of this, Leonard warns. 

Issues to Keep in Mind

Ring speaks to the broadcast options based on his time working at Amagi. “We could do actual squeeze backs. … But what happens is, you learn that there’s a direct buy in a linear world: I want that one or I want this one. It’s happening in the production room when you move to SSAI, it’s just much more complicated in terms of what you’re going to bring in, [and] how it’s going to work,” he says. “And so I think it’s really critical to point to that.” 

Ring introduces another participant to the conversation by asking Eventually A Castle CEO Andrew Baritz what his take is on ad formats and what’s interesting to him in the virtual world.

Baritz replies, “I think these formats are amazing for the publisher. They can be really powerful for the consumer. It can increase viewership of the content you want to watch versus ad time.” However, the problem with their growth is that “it’s borderline a walled garden within a walled garden,” especially for large media buyers. He uses the example of HBO Max, which owns all of its media space. “It’s available on some of those SSPs and DSPs. But those squeeze-back units might not be,” Baritz says. “And to the note of [Leonard], there are different vendors doing this, and they’re in competition with each other for that same media by those different standards, those different SSAI solutions. And [Ring] mentioned it with [his] experience at Amagi: Who owns the stream?”

Baritz wonders how technology must be used to allow for different ad options, noting that standardization is an issue. He also wonders how publishers connect to the media, saying that “these units often take very deep integrations, so that can limit who has access to them to larger streamers. It needs major economies of scale to make it viable and it blocks certain publishers from being able to enact them due to how they may be distributed. These units are largely locked to owned-and-operated experiences where you are in control of the end platform, which means a channel in this FAST world who may not own that platform may be limited to what type of formats they’re allowed to integrate with.”

Baritz continues to ask questions, including, “Who has that control over the supply-and-demand relationship? Is it the publisher, is it the technology, is it the platform? And then we add that fun layer of broadcast of: Did the MLB put a squeeze back in that’s in conflict with the squeeze back the publisher may have rights to sell?” He comes to the same conclusion Leonard did, pointing out that new formats are still in the early days of implementation. He believes they’ll be a major part of CTV, similar to how they are important in broadcast. 

“So I think it’s just going to take time,” he asserts. “It’s going to take alignment from the content owners. It’s going to take platform awareness,” and standardization will be important in opening up any walled gardens so buyers can run their ads across all of their partners. “That supply of those units [such as squeeze backs] can be commoditized versus locked into these walled gardens.”

Join conference chair Andy Beach and other streaming media experts in person Oct. 6–8 in Santa Monica, CA, for more thought leadership, actionable insights, and lively debate at Streaming Media 2025. Registration is open! 

Streaming Covers

Related Articles

What Is SGAI and What Are the Benefits for Live and VOD?

Server-guided ad insertion (SGAI) has been called the “best of both worlds” in a streaming adtech world long split between client-side ad insertion (CSAI) and server-side ad insertion (SSAI), and of course it’s more than squeezebacks and other frame-sharing ad formats with which it’s commonly associated. But what is it exactly? And what does it offer for live and VOD streaming? Google’s Sourya Roy, Paramount’s Jarred Wilichinsky, Muxed’s David Hassoun, and Reality Software’s Nadine Krefetz discuss the answer to these questions in this clip from May’s Streaming Media Connect.

Why Ad Tech Is Becoming Smarter Than Ad Buying

SGAI is an ad-insertion technique that combines the advantages of CSAI and SSAI. This approach allows for more targeted ads and better technical delivery. It’s part of an industrywide effort to standardize the ad-insertion process in which the server and client video player share the responsibility of ad insertion.

Companies and Suppliers Mentioned

Sports

Harzula Represents Fisher Athletics In DIII Athletic Communicators Emerging Elite Program

Published

on


General | 12/12/2025 2:30:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Athletics Communications Assistant Brianna Harzula represented St. John Fisher University at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, earlier this week in the Division III Athletic Communicators Emerging Elite Program. 

Harzula, one of 30 professionals selected to participate in the program by the NCAA DIII Governance staff, spent Monday and Tuesday connecting with colleagues from across the country and participating in discussions that covered key industry topics, leadership strategies and more.  

“Being part of the Emerging Elite program and visiting the NCAA headquarters was an incredible experience,” Harzula said. “I learned from industry experts about working in athletics communications and how to elevate the student-athlete experience. I also had the opportunity to connect with other young professionals in the industry and hear about the experiences that have shaped their journeys.”

Launched in 2024 in partnership with D3SIDA and College Sports Communicators (CSC), the Emerging Elite Program is designed to elevate the next generation of athletic communication leaders in Division III. Participants in the program engage in interactive sessions focused on leadership development, managing and growing a team, cross-department collaboration and navigating the evolving landscape of college athletics communications. In addition to the in-person program in Indianapolis, all participants receive a one-time complimentary registration to the CSC UNITE convention, held every June.

Harzula, who joined St. John Fisher’s athletics communications staff in August, primarily covers the Cardinals’ men’s and women’s ice hockey programs. She previously served as an athletics communications graduate assistant at American International College in Springfield, Mass. 

Harzula was one of three athletics communications professionals from the Empire 8 Conference in this year’s Emerging Elite class. Mike Hogan, St. John Fisher’s athletics communications coordinator, attended the inaugural program last year. 

“Brianna has been such a fantastic addition to our staff and has shown great leadership while covering men’s and women’s ice hockey for us,” Hogan said. “I know from experience how beneficial this program is, and I have no doubt Brianna will use what she learned to better our department. I am looking forward to watching her continued development in this industry.”

 



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Creighton volleyball’s season ends in NCAA Regional Final loss to Kentucky

Published

on


LEXINGTON, Ky. (WOWT) – Creighton volleyball’s bid for its first NCAA Final Four will have to wait at least another year.

The Bluejays saw their season end with a straight-set loss to Kentucky in the Regional Final on Saturday night at Memorial Coliseum. Creighton was the three-seed with Kentucky the top team in the Lexington Regional.

The Wildcats won 25-19, 25-13, 25-18.

Kentucky (29-2) used a balanced attack to earn its 26th straight victory and advance to the national semifinals, where it will face the winner of Texas–Wisconsin.

Creighton finished Brian Rosen’s first season as head coach with a 28-6 record, suffering its first defeat since a Sept. 16 five-setter to national No. 1 Nebraska.

Brooklyn DeLeye led the Wildcats with 18 kills and 12 digs, while Eva Hudson posted a double-double with 13 kills and 15 digs.

Senior outside hitter Ava Martin and sophomore opposite Jaya Johnson paced Creighton with eight kills apiece, and senior setter Annalea Maeder recorded her fourth straight double-double with 26 assists and 13 digs.

Saturday’s match marked the final contest for Bluejay seniors Martin, middle blocker Kiara Reinhardt, Maeder and defensive specialist Sky McCune.

The Bluejays celebrated four players after a Senior Day sweep of Georgetown.

Martin and junior libero Sydney Breissinger were named to the Lexington Regional All-Tournament Team.

Creighton’s 23-match winning streak — tied for the second-longest in program history — came to an end with the loss.

The Bluejays closed the year with their 15th NCAA Tournament appearance and a 20-15 all-time record in the event, with five of their six losses this season coming against teams ranked in the top five at the time of the match.



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Leilani Robinson Shines at Wagner Seahawk Shootout

Published

on


QUEENS, N.Y.  – The St. John’s track and field team sent a small squad of student-athletes to the Seahawk Shootout on Friday.  Friday’s competition marked the second trip to Ocean Breeze in the last seven days for the Red Storm. 

Leilani Robinson shined for the Red Storm, winning the 600-meter run with a time of 1:33.48, good enough for a lifetime best and a top-three time in program history. This is second consecutive weekend that a Johnnie won the 600m at Ocean Breeze. 

Karese Clisheva Kezia Lloyd recorded her first top-five finish of the indoor season, equalizing her lifetime best of 7.70 in the 60-meter dash. 

On the distance side, Attoya Harvey completed the mile run in a personal best time of 5:16.30. The time was good enough for an eighth place finish, as she raced in the fastest heat of the day.

Brenin Mahon and Cristina Stanescu completed the 3,000 meters finishing in 11:22.12 and 11:33:77 respectively, both of which are season bests. 

In the field, Desiree Pagan secured her first top-10 finish of the season in the weight throw, placing seventh. Her second round toss of 14.97-meters (49-feet 1-inch) is a season’s best. 

St. John’s will break for the holidays and return to competition in late January. Director of Track and Field Aliann Pompey and her squad are set to race at the Dr. Sander Scorcher on January 23-24, 2026, at The Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory.

 



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Trees post strong showing in season-opening John Gartland Invitational

Published

on


TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State’s 2025-26 track and field season got off to a strong start Friday and Saturday, as the Sycamores recorded multiple high-ranking marks at the John Gartland Invitational.
 
Indiana State claimed the top spot in 14 events over the course of the weekend, with meet and facility records being set by the Sycamores in both the men’s and women’s 60m. The Trees also had four program top-10 marks set over the course of the weekend, with a plethora of top-50 national rankings also being posted by the Blue and White.

 Event Winners

  • Casey Hood Jr. – 60m (6.63, meet and facility record), 200m (21.87)
  • Reneisha Andrews – 60m (7.40, meet and facility record, fourth in program history)
  • Ivan Weaver – 400m (49.08, meet record)
  • Collin Forrest – 60m hurdles (7.97, ninth in program history)
  • Rachel Mehringer – 60m hurdles (8.52)
  • Deangelo Hughey, Will Riley, Graham West, Ivan Weaver – 4x400m relay (3:27.95)
  • Janiya Bowman, Jahnel Bowman, Lilly Gilbertson, Nevaeh Wren – 4x400m relay (3:58.58)
  • Lincoln Hulsey – pole vault (4.95m/16-2.75)
  • Kilan Macklin – long jump (7.15m/23-5.5)
  • Janiya Bowman – long jump (5.80m/19-0.5)
  • Justice Boston – triple jump (11.77m/38-7.5)
  • Aliseonna Garnett – shot put (15.48m/50-9.5), weight throw (18.77m/61-7)

 
Top-Three Finishes

  • Will Riley – 60m (third, 6.90)
  • Michelle McDonald – 60m (second, 7.65)
  • Kyarra DeGroote – 400m (second, 59.46)
  • Noelle Dilosa – 800m (third, 2:30.07)
  • Nick Burns – mile (third, 4:18.95)
  • Ada Sabo – mile (third, 5:33.62)
  • Parker Mimbela – 3000m (third, 9:03.16)
  • Parker Doyle – 60m hurdles (second, 8.13)
  • David Carnell – 60m hurdles (third, 8.15)
  • Taylor Jackson – 60m hurdles (third, 9.13)
  • Xavier Wills, Nick Burns, Caden Emmert, Will Larrison – 4x400m relay (second, 3:29.01)
  • Noah Gilmore – high jump (second, 2.04m/6-8.25)
  • Ethan Widenhoefer – high jump (third, 1.98m/6-6)
  • Kayla Douglas – high jump (third, 1.60m/5-3)
  • Essence Johnson – high jump (third, 1.60m/5-3)
  • Landon Dobbs – pole vault (second, 4.95m/16-2.75)
  • Campbell Roberts – pole vault (second, 3.86m/12-8, 10th in program history)
  • Amy Luttrell – pole vault (third, 3.76m/12-4)
  • Piere Hill – long jump (second, 7.07m/23-2.5)
  • Jahnel Bowman – long jump (second, 5.68m/18-7.75)
  • Aaron Massiah – triple jump (third, 14.23m/46-8.25)
  • Taylor Smith – triple jump (second, 11.05m/36-3)
  • Sloan Cox – shot put (second, 18.00m/59-0.75)
  • Olivia Marshall – shot put (second, 14.46m/47-5.25)
  • Cora Williams – weight throw (second, 18.67m/61-3)
  • Emma Yoder – weight throw (third, 18.10m/59-4.75)
  • Jake Ottersbach – heptathlon (third, 4936)
  • Ellie Irwin – pentathlon (second, 3471, 10th in program history)
  • Emma Martin – pentathlon (third, 3297)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State’s sprinters made an early statement on their home track, with Casey Hood Jr. and Reneisha Andrews posting top-10 national times in the 60m to pace the Blue and White. Hood Jr. clocked a 6.63 on the men’s side, the third-fastest time in the nation this season, while Andrews’ time of 7.40 on the women’s side was the ninth-fastest time in the nation this season. Andrews also moved into the top five in program history in her Sycamore debut. Will Riley placed third on the men’s side in his collegiate debut with a time of 6.90, while Michelle McDonald finished second on the women’s side with a time of 7.65.
 
Hood Jr. also posted a high-ranking time in the 200m, with his 21.87 placing first at the meet and ranking in the top 15 nationally after track conversion. Nevaeh Wren had the top 200m time for the Sycamores on the women’s side, clocking a 26.02 in her collegiate debut. Ivan Weaver added a first-place finish for the Blue and White in the 400m with a time of 49.04, a top-30 national mark after track conversion, while Kyarra DeGroote finished second on the women’s side at 59.46.
 
Indiana State’s strong tradition of excellence in the 60m hurdles was on full display, with Collin Forrest running a career-best 7.97 to crack the program top-10 charts. Kieran Barnewall clocked a time of 8.06 in prelims in his first collegiate meet, while Parker Doyle (8.13) and David Carnell (8.15) earned podium finishes in finals. Forrest and Barnewall both cracked the top 50 times in the nation. On the women’s side, MVC record holder Rachel Mehringer cruised to a season-opening win with a time of 8.52, a top-40 time nationally. Taylor Jackson also earned a podium finish with a time of 9.13.
 
The Trees also tallied first-place finishes on both side in the 4x400m relay. Deangelo Hughey, Riley, Graham West and Weaver clocked a time of 3:27.95 on the men’s side to edge the quartet of Xavier Wills, Nick Burns, Caden Emmert and Will Larrison (3:29.01). Weaver overcame a deficit down the stretch, passing Larrison inside the final 100 meters to secure the win. Janiya Bowman, Jahnel Bowman, Lilly Gilbertson and Wren teamed up to run a time of 3:58.58 to earn the first-place finish on the women’s side.
 
Mid-Distance/Distance
Indiana State fielded few entries in the distance and mid-distance events, with the Sycamores’ cross country season ending just one month ago. Nick Burns earned a podium finish in the mile with his time of 4:18.95, while Noelle Dilosa placed third in the 800m with her time of 2:30.07.
 
The two distance athletes who competed for the Blue and White both earned top-three finishes in their respective events. Ada Sabo placed third in the mile with a time of 5:33.62, while Parker Mimbela clocked a 3000m time of 9:03.16 to finish third in the event.
 
Jumps
Indiana State started its season in the right direction in the jumps events, with multiple career-best and high-ranking marks for the Blue and White. Lincoln Hulsey and Landon Dobbs both cleared 4.95m (16-2.75) in the pole vault, with the Sycamore duo occupying the top two spots in the event. Campbell Roberts cleared a career-best 3.86m (12-8) to finish second on the women’s side, with all three ranking in the top 50 nationally after the season opener.
 
In a meet named after legendary Sycamore coach John Gartland, who works with the high jumpers, Indiana State’s high jump crew put together a strong start to the season. Noah Gilmore cleared a career-best 2.04m (6-8.25), a top-50 mark in the nation this season, to place second, while Ethan Widenhoefer cleared 1.98m (6-6) to finish right behind in third. Kilan Macklin cleared both of his attempts, his last one coming at 1.95m (6-4.75). On the women’s side, the trio of Kayla Douglas, Essence Johnson and Emily Ritenour all cleared 1.60m (5-3), with Douglas and Johnson tying for third on misses. The major women’s high jump result for the Blue and White came during the pentathlon, as Ellie Irwin cleared 1.72m (5-7.75) to crack the top 30 in the nation this season.
 
Macklin also added a first-place finish in the long jump with a season-opening mark of 7.15m (23-5.5), a top-50 mark in the nation this season. Piere Hill was right behind in second with a top attempt of 7.07m (23-2.5), while Aaron Massiah rounded out a sweep of the podium for the Trees with a mark of 6.92m (22-8.5).The Sycamores also occupied the top two spots in the women’s long jump, as Janiya Bowman placed first with a top mark of 5.80m (19-0.5) and Jahnel Bowman followed in second at 5.68m (18-7.75).
 
Indiana State also added an event win in the women’s triple jump, courtesy of Justice Boston with a top mark of 11.77m (38-7.5). Taylor Smith finished second for the Trees with a mark of 11.05m (36-3), while Massiah also claimed a third-place finish on the men’s side with a mark of 14.23m (46-8.25).
 
Throws
Aliseonna Garnett led a strong opening weekend for the Sycamore throwers with wins in both the shot put and weight throw. Garnett’s shot put mark of 15.48m (50-9.5) ranked in the top 15 nationally, while her weight throw mark of 18.77m (61-7) also sits in the top 25 nationally. Cora Williams added a top-25 national mark in the weight throw in her collegiate debut at 18.67m (61-3), while Olivia Marshall tacked on a top-50 national mark in the shot put at 14.46m (47-5.25). Also recording a top-50 national mark in the early stages of the season was Emma Yoder, who registered a weight throw mark of 18.10m (59-4.75) as the Sycamores swept the podium in the event.
 
On the men’s side, Sloan Cox opened his season with a second place finish in the shot put, with his mark of 18.00m (59-0.75) ranking in the top 25 nationally. Ben Brown added a top-five finish in the event in his collegiate debut with a throw of 16.67m (54-8.25), while fellow freshman Theo Thurman had the top throw for the Trees in the weight throw at 17.30m (56-9.25).
 
Multis
Each of Indiana State’s seven athletes competing in the pentathlon or heptathlon earned top-five overall finishes over the weekend, with four of those seven currently ranking in the top 50. Ellie Irwin finished with a career-high 3471 points in the pentathlon, a top-50 score nationally, with her high jump mark (1.72m/5-7.75) ranking in the top 30 nationally and her hurdles time of 8.98 being a career best. Irwin also added career-best efforts in the long jump (5.24m/17-2.25) and 800m (2:39.19) to aid her score.
 
Emma Martin earned a third-place finish in the pentathlon in her collegiate debut with 3297 points, with top-three finishes in the 800m (2:26.16) and high jump (1.60m/5-3). Kathryn Ison placed fourth with 3265 points, with the second-best long jump mark (5.30m/17-4.75) in the field and a strong 60m hurdles time of 9.01. Sophie Hale finished fifth at 3256 points, with her 60m hurdles time of 8.77 and long jump mark of 5.30m (17-4.5) among the best in the field.
 
Jake Ottersbach led the Sycamore heptathletes with a third-place finish on 4936 points, bolstered by the top 60m hurdles time in the field at 8.34 and top-three marks in the 1000m (2:57.32) and high jump (1.86m/6-1.25). Ty Newsom finished fourth with 4739 points, aided by high marks in the 1000m (2:56.48) and shot put (11.64m/38-2.25). Zenon Rule placed fifth at 4707 points, finishing with the highest clearance in the pole vault (4.40m/14-5.25), with all three Sycamores currently in the top 50 in the national rankings.
 
Up Next
Indiana State returns to action after the calendar turns to 2026, as the Sycamores play host to longtime rival Illinois State for the Coughlan-Malloy Cup January 17 inside the Indoor Track and Field Facility.
 
Follow the Sycamores

For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
 

– #MarchOn –





Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Beach Volleyball Releases 2026 Schedule

Published

on


SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women’s beach volleyball released a competitive spring 2026 schedule on Saturday, featuring nine tournaments and three home matches.
 
The Broncos open the 2026 season at San Jose State on Feb. 20, playing matches against USF and the hosting Spartans. Santa Clara plays their first two home matches of the season on Sat., Feb. 21 against USF at 9 a.m., and Pacific at 3 p.m.
 
Next, Santa Clara travels to Stanford and San Jose State for the Battle of the Bay on Feb. 27-28, before heading to Long Beach State on Mar. 6-7 for matches against CSUB, UAB, Stetson, and LBSU.
 
On Mar. 13-14, Santa Clara travels to Cal Poly for matches against Grand Canyon, Oregon, Arizona, and the hosting Mustangs. Their lone true road match of the season comes on Mar. 20 at San Jose State. The Broncos close out the month of March at the West Coast Challenge on Mar. 27-28 at Santa Cruz Main Beach.
 
On Apr. 3-4, Santa Clara goes to Boise State for matches against UTEP, CSUN, Oregon, and the hosting Broncos, before returning home for their final home match of the season on Tuesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. against San Jose State. The Broncos then travel to Hawaii on Apr. 9-11 for matches against Oregon, University of Hawai’i, and Chaminade Hawaii.
 
The Broncos close out the season at UC Davis against the Aggies and Sacramento State on Apr. 17-18, before competing in the WCC Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournament at Ocean Park in Santa Monica, Calif. from Apr. 23-24.
 
The Broncos will look to build on a very successful 2025 spring season. They won 18 games, which is tied for the most in program history, and reached the West Coast Conference Tournament final for the first time in program history, finishing in second place. The Broncos defeated No. 17 Washington on March 16 for their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2015, and had a historic six players claim All-WCC honors.
 



Link

Continue Reading

Sports

Feeling Elite: Badgers battle in Regional Finals for eighth-straight season

Published

on


AUSTIN, Texas – For the eighth consecutive season, the No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team will compete in the Regional Final, this time against No. 1 Texas from the Lone Star State on Sunday, Dec. 14. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Gregory Gymnasium and the match will be televised on ESPN. 

The Badgers (27-4) are fresh off of one of their most complete performances of the season—turning in a four-set victory over No. 2 Stanford (25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 25-22) in the Regional Semifinals on Friday afternoon to earn their first top-10 win of the year. 

Offensively, UW put together their top showing in program history in a Regional Semifinal match, swinging .420 against the Cardinal. Outside hitter Mimi Colyer led the way with 27 kills, eclipsing the 2,000-kill mark in her career. The senior also broke the school record for most kills in a season —surpassing Badger great Sarah Franklin’s 535 from last season. Colyer enters Sunday’s match with 543 kills on the year. 

Setter Charlie Fuerbringer distributed the wealth at a high rate once again, recording a career-best 61 assists on Friday. The Hermosa Beach, California, native averaged 15.25 assists per set against Stanford, as the Badgers improved their record to 10-0 since she made her return from injury. 

From the front row, middle blockers Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew continued to excel, each finishing errorless versus the Cardinal. Booth impressed by tying a career-best 14 kills, as she last did so in the Regional Semifinal last season versus Texas A&M. The senior did so while hitting .700. Andrew was more of the same, going 7-of-9 for UW. 

Outside hitter Una Vajagic rounded out the numerous standouts from Friday’s battle, racking up her 10th double-double of the season behind a 13-kill, 11-dig performance—hitting .444 (13 – 1 – 27). 

The Badgers will take on Texas for the second time this season, as the Longhorns (26-3) earned a sweep of UW at the Opening Spike Classic at the Kohl Center on Aug. 31. Right side Grace Egan led the way with 16 kills for Wisconsin, as the redshirt sophomore notched the final kill in both the third and the fourth set against Stanford on Friday. The Longhorns hold a 6-4 record all-time over the Badgers.

Sunday’s match will also mark the first time Wisconsin and Texas have battled in the postseason since the 2023 season in Tampa, Florida, in the NCAA National Championship Semifinal match. 

“We are certainly looking forward to the challenge,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “I think our team has grown, and as the season has gone on, I think we’re playing with confidence and you need that confidence to be able to go in and do what we’re hoping to be able to do.” 

UW will look to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championship for the sixth time in program history and for the second time in the past three seasons.



Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending