Another deep run in the NCAA Tournament is over for the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns (26-4) after falling to the No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers (28-4) in the Elite Eight on Sunday at Gregory Gymnasium in a 3-1 defeat.

Texas was consistently out of system for the entire match and struggled to consistently match Wisconsin in any area of the game even though the Horns held a statistical edge in several categories. The biggest issue was the subpar performance from junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford, who hit .132 with nine kills and four attacking errors — the Longhorns needed more from their star, outshone on her home court by Badgers standout Mimi Colyer notching a match-high 23 kills on a .309 hitting percentage.

The young Texas team struggled to find answers across the board as head coach Jerritt Elliott tried to find sparks from his bench, a failed effort.

In the first set, both teams came out swinging and stayed neck to neck attacking the net at 5-5. True freshman outside hitter Abby Vander Wal aided the Longhorns with four kills during the set, alongside fellow true freshman outside hitter Cari Spears landing three kills in the first set. Texas was able to gain a small lead as Wisconsin continued to capitalize on attacks and force errors to gain a 23-17 lead. Longhorn middle blocker Nya Bunton snagged a two kills for Texas as the match closed out with Wisconsin taking the opening set, 25-22, despite the Longhorns saving five set points.

In the second set, Wisconsin jumped out to an early 4-2 lead with Colyer snagging early kills. The Longhorns cut the lead to 11-10 by forcing attacking errors, but the Badgers stayed steady, maintaining their lead with outside hitter Grace Egan swinging strong at the net to extending the lead to 18-13. The Longhorns stayed in the match with the leadership of senior outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein tagging four late kills, but the Badges closed the second set, 25-21, having never trailed in it.

All gas in the intense third set with both teams pumping attack after attack with the Longhorns taking a 8-7 lead. While both teams stayed on each others heel’s by countering each other’s attacks until Longhorn setter Rella Binney served back-to-back aces to put Texas up 15-12. The Longhorns stood strong at the net, forcing Badger errors to close the third set, 25-20, to prolong the match, albeit only briefly.

In the fourth set, the Longhorns use the momentum from the third set and go on a 4-0 run with kills from Vander Wal and Spears. The Badgers did not lay down as they were able to for errors and counter attack with the aid of outside hitter Una Vajagic to go on a 12-4 run, putting Wisconsin up, 12-8. The Longhorns managed a 4-0 run while libero Ramsey Gary landed an ace bring the match to 18-15, but the Badgers eventually closed the fourth and final set by forcing seven Longhorn errors to end the match, 25-19.

Penn State women’s volleyball got itself a setter from the portal.

The Nittany Lions earned the commitment from Florida setter Alexis Stucky.

Stucky was teammates with now-Penn State right-side hitter Kennedy Martin during her first two seasons with the Gators. This past season, Stucky showed that she was a great setter with or without Martin. She had a career-high 56 assists against Missouri and had over 300 kills this season.

The two are back to being teammates, and the blue and white have a new setter.

Stucky will join incoming freshman Danielle Whitmire as the two setters on the team.

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AUSTIN, Texas (WKOW) – Wisconsin volleyball is celebrating a thrilling victory after defeating top-seeded Texas in the NCAA regional finals. The Badgers, led by coach Kelly Sheffield, will advance to the Final Four.

Sheffield’s team triumphed in four sets, 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19, marking their sixth Final Four appearance under his leadership, and seventh overall in program history. This victory is Wisconsin’s first Elite Eight win at an opponent’s home venue.

The Badgers’ win comes after a previous loss to Texas on Aug. 31.

Wisconsin will face Kentucky in the national semifinals on Dec. 18, with Pittsburgh and Texas A&M also in the Final Four. The Final Four takes place in Kansas City.

MADISON (WKOW) – The Badger volleyball team is still dancing after upsetting the University of Texas in Austin for the Elite Eight of the NCAA volleyball tournament. The Final Four will take place in Kansas City, MO.

NCAA scheduling shows the Badgers will take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the second game of the day Thursday at the T Mobile center. Match #1 with Texas A&M and Pittsburgh is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on the 18th.

The Championship is Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

With Thursday’s matches, the NCAA will open a “Fan Zone” from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the Fan Zone reopening for Sunday’s Championship. Attendees will experience engaging sponsor displays, autograph sessions, photo opportunities and other interactives. Wisconsin also has open practice on Wednesday starting just before 3 p.m.

Jake Schmitt led the Gusties to a 95-80 win over Saint John’s on 12/10 with 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting while going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Schmitt also had three steals, three assists, and three rebounds in the win.
 
MIAC Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Koelling
Carleton College
Jr. | Forward
Ann Arbor, Mich. / Skyline

Sam Koelling averaged 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 23.0 points per game in a 2-0 week for the Knights with wins over Macalester (12/10) and Northwestern (12/13). Koelling had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double with four blocks in Carleton’s win over the Scots and turned in 25 points, eight rebounds, and another blocked shot against the Eagles.

CLEVELAND – The Ohio volleyball team placed seven athletes on the 2025 Volleyball All-Mid-American Conference Team, as announced by the league on Monday, Dec. 15.
 
Eastern Michigan, Miami, and Western Michigan led the league with eight student-athletes honored. Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Ohio followed behind with seven honorees each. 
 
The Academic All-MAC honor is awarded to a student-athlete who has excelled in both athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests in that sport.
 
2025 Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team
Caroline Curran, Junior, Engineering Tech & MGMT (3.852)
Sierra Evans, Sophomore, Journalism News and Info. (3.457)
Olivia Gardner, Junior, Exercise Physiology (3.660)
Lexi Grissett, Sophomore, Marketing (4.000)
Kendall Hickey, Junior, Communication Studies (3.396)
Bryn Janke, Sophomore, Accounting & Finance (3.895)
Darbi Ricketts, Sophomore, Exercise Physiology – Strength & Conditioning (3.384)
 
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