AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team punched their ticket to the NCAA National Semifinals for the seventh time in program history, storming into Gregory Gymnasium to take down No. 1 Texas (25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19) in four sets.
The Badgers and the Longhorns hooked up in a back-and-forth battle in the first set, as UW utilized a quick 4-0 burst to take a lead at 10-9. With the help of a kill from outside hitter Mimi Colyer, the Badgers enjoyed a narrow 15-14 advantage heading into the first media timeout.
Wisconsin went on to enjoy a 6-0 run to pull away from Texas in the latter half of the frame, led by the serving of freshman Kristen Simon, who tallied an ace in the process. After the Longhorns provided a response in multiple match points, Colyer put it away with a kill to push the Badgers to a set one victory at 25-22.
Set two was more of the same for UW, as the Badgers were able to create some separation with the help of back-to-back kills turned in by middle blocker Carter Booth—extending their lead to 14-10. They followed it up with a 3-0 run, highlighted by a kill apiece from right side Grace Egan and middle blocker Alicia Andrew.
Texas once again made a late push to apply the pressure on Wisconsin, but the Badgers answered back quickly to wrap up the second set with a win. It was Colyer again, as the star senior converted on another kill to give UW a 2-0 lead.
The Longhorns utilized their physical presence on the offensive end to get back into a rhythm in the third set, illustrated by a 5-0 scoring run in the middle of the frame.
Outside hitter Una Vajagic provided some momentum for the Badgers in set three, tallying five kills to keep Wisconsin within striking distance. Unfortunately for UW, it was not enough, as they fell 20-25.
Texas maintained their momentum right away in the fourth frame, jumping out to a 4-0 lead to force a Wisconsin timeout.
The Badgers proved to be resilient, winning six of seven rallies to take a 7-6 lead—concluding that stretch with an ace from Colyer. Outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres made her presence felt moments later, recording a pair of kills to extend the advantage to 13-8.
Wisconsin managed to outlast Texas in lengthy rallies down the stretch, continuing to keep the Longhorns off balance on the offensive end. Vajagic and Colyer ended it with kills, securing the victory for the Badgers and etching their spot in the National Semifinals in Kansas City next week.
Colyer paced UW with 23 kills, finishing with a .309 hitting percentage. In similar fashion, Vajagic followed suit swinging at .458 (15 – 4 – 24), marking double-digit kill totals for the sixth consecutive match.
Booth was steady from the front row in a tough road atmosphere, converting on 11 kills. In the middle of it all, setter Charlie Fuerbringer dished out 57 assists and notched nine digs.
Straight from the Court
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on tonight’s match): “One of the hardest things to do in sports is what you have to do in volleyball. It’s awesome that we have home environments in this round, but to go on the road and grab a win from a Goliath…the talent they got over there, we knew our players were going to have to stand tall and embrace everything.”
(On how special this team is): “I’m excited to still be playing with these guys. I love this team, I love how far this team has gone. They have grown so incredibly much since the beginning of this season. I know nobody wants this thing to end.”
(on advancing to the National Semifinals): “The Final Four is just so special, it is so incredible. When you’ve been there, every fiber of your being, you want as many of your players that are committed that decide to come here, you want them to experience that. I’m so excited that they are going to be able to experience that.”
Outside Hitter Mimi Colyer (on the emotions of making it to the Final Four): “It’s been so much fun to play for this group of girls, and I think we were so energetic and we were just so courageous out there. We played such good, gritty volleyball and I’m so excited to keep playing.”
Middle Blocker Carter Booth (on embracing the crowd): “I think we walked in knowing exactly who we are and what we have practiced and what we have worked on and the talent that we have. We came in with the intention of showing people exactly who we are and who we know ourselves to be.”
Setter Charlie Fuerbringer (on Una Vajagic’s performance): “She really just led us to this point, and was clutch in huge moments. Going back to the underdog thing, there are no underdogs in this thing, everyone is giving their best volleyball.”
Notes:
- With the win, Wisconsin volleyball advances to the National Semifinal for the seventh time in program history and the sixth under head coach Kelly Sheffield.
- Wisconsin improves to 5-6 all-time against the Longhorns. The last win previously in Austin was back in September 18, 2016.
- The Badgers improve to 74-29 all-time in the NCAA tournament.
- For the second-straight match, Wisconsin wore its black jersey. The Badgers are 3-0 this season when wearing black.
- The Badgers had three player with double-figure kills, led by Mimi Colyer (23), Una Vajagic (15) and Carter Booth (11).
- Libero Kristen Simon had a match-high 15 digs.
- Setter Charlie Fuerbringer had a match-high 57 assists. She chipped in with nine digs and three blocks.
- For the 13th match this season, Colyer tallied 20 or more kills. She had a match-high 23 kills on 55 swings while hitting .309. Colyer has now recorded double-figure kills in every match but one and is currently on a 19-match streak with double-digit kills.
Up Next: The Badgers will hit the road to Kansas City to take on No. 1 Kentucky in the NCAA National Semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 18. UW last faced the Wildcats during the 2022 season, and have taken three-straight matches over Kentucky.
