The Badgers (27-4) were clicking on all cylinders in the first frame, as UW exploded for a .514 swinging percentage to jump out to a hot start in the first frame. 

Wisconsin utilized a 5-0 serving run from libero Kristen Simon, highlighted by an ace turned in by the freshman—guiding the Badgers to a 15-9 advantage. UW and the Cardinal (29-5) continued to trade points throughout the latter half of the set, led by nine kills from outside hitter Mimi Colyer. 

Stanford was quick to provide a response in this back-and-forth affair, as they put together three separate 3-0 runs to put away the Badgers and even up the match. UW fought back late with the help of a kill apiece from middle blocker Carter Booth and Colyer. Unfortunately for the Badgers, it was not enough, as they fell 21-25 to even up the match at one apiece.

The teams continued to be even throughout the first half of the third frame, with Stanford building a 17-14 cushion. In one of the largest turning points of the match, freshman Natalie Wardlow stepped up in the clutch with three-straight service aces to give UW an 18-17 lead. Wardlow’s four aces on the afternoon tied a career-best, as she last finished with four against No. 1 Nebraska on Oct. 31. 

The Badgers kept the pressure on, forcing the Cardinal out of the system for the remainder of the third set. Right side Grace Egan capped it off with a kill to secure a 25-23 victory. 

Set four brought the same intensity, as Wisconsin jumped out to a 10-6 lead with a pair of kills turned in by outside hitter Una Vajagic. The redshirt sophomore finished with her 10th double-double, hitting .411 with 13 kills, complemented by 11 digs on the defensive end.  

The Cardinal battled and tied it up at 14-14 before the Badgers’ rattled off three consecutive points. Colyer racked up her 2,000th kill of her career in the process—accumulating a match-high 27 at Gregory Gym. The senior earned her final three in the late stages of set four, pushing Wisconsin to the Regional Finals. 

Offensively, Booth tied a career-best with 14 kills, last doing so in the Regional Semifinal last season against Texas A&M. The Denver, Colorado, native swung .700 (14 – 0 – 20) against the Cardinal, as she finished errorless for the fourth-straight match. 

Middle blocker Alicia Andrew joined her in the process, racking up seven kills on nine attempts without an attack error. 

Setter Charlie Fuerbringer was the centerpiece throughout the entirety of the match, tallying a career-high 61 assists to guide the Badgers to their highest hitting percentage in a four-set match in program history. 

Straight from the Court

Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on this afternoon’s match): “It was just two teams that were just battling like crazy. The level of talent out there on the court and the level of play out there, that easily could have been a Final Four match. It’s unusual to see that high level and back-and-forth in the Sweet 16.”

(On freshman Natalie Wardlow’s serving): “It was huge because we were down by a few points, and she got in there and got three aces in a row. She’s put in the work, and she’s got that ability to doubt people as a passer and get you doubting. She’s got that ability, we have a few of those players who can do that.”

Middle Blocker Carter Booth (on what went right offensively): “I think it was just coming into the match with the mentality that we’re on the attack, knowing that we have a bit of an advantage in transition from what we’ve studied over the film. I think it was really an emphasis for us to always be the ones throwing punches, not the ones taking them.” 

Outside Hitter Mimi Colyer (on playing in marquee matches): “I want to get in these big games and be competitive and play with a group of girls that want to win and need to win. I think our team is doing just that, I think we’re gelling at the right time and I think we’re gaining so much momentum.”

Setter Charlie Fuerbringer (on Una Vajagic’s performance): “I think she’s literally the most underrated player in the whole NCAA. She hit .444 and had 13 kills tonight, and she passes dimes. When Una passes, I think we hit over .500 every time, so I just don’t think she’s talked about enough and the amount she does for our team is huge.”

Notes: 

• For the first time in program history, Wisconsin beat Stanford. The Badgers and Cardinal met six times previously in program history.
• Wisconsin will advance to the Regional Finals for the eighth-straight season.
• UW improves to 16-7 in program history in Regional Finals, and head coach Kelly Sheffield is 11-2.
• The Badgers improve to 73-29 all-time in the NCAA tournament.
• Wisconsin wore its black jersey for just the second time this season. The Badgers previously wore black in a 3-1 victory over Florida on Sept. 16. This marks just the third time in program history UW has worn black, and it’s first in 1999 at Penn State.
• Freshman Natalie Wardlow tied a career-best with four service aces against Stanford.
• Senior Carter Booth recorded a season-best 14 kills. She totaled 14 kills on 20 swings, while also hitting .700 for the match. This also marks her fourth-straight match without a hitting error.
• For the 12th match this season, outside hitter Mimi Colyer tallied 20 or more kills. She had a match-high 27 kills on 51 swings while hitting 373. With 27 kills, Colyer joins the 2,000 career kill club.
• For the eighth time this season, Wisconsin hit .400 or better. The Badgers hit .420 (70-15-131).
• Badgers had three players with double-figure kills, Colyer (27), Booth (14) and Una Vajagic (13).
• Setter Charlie Fuerbringer set a career-best 61 assists against Stanford. She previously totaled 59 against Ohio State on November 27, 2024.

Up Next: The Badgers are set to take on No. 1 Texas in the NCAA Regional Final on Sunday, Dec. 14 for a trip to the NCAA Championship. Match time is still to be determined.