No. 3 Badgers Head to Kansas City for National Semifinals

The No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team is set to compete in the NCAA Tournament’s National Semifinals on Thursday, December 18. They will face off against No. 1 Kentucky at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The match will begin 30 minutes after the first semifinal, which features No. 3 Texas A&M against No. 1 Pittsburgh, scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. CT. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN.

Wisconsin’s Impressive Tournament Journey

With a record of 28-4, the Badgers have reached the NCAA National Semifinals for the seventh time in their history. Notably, they have made this stage in five of the last seven seasons, a joint nationwide record with Pittsburgh. The upcoming match marks Wisconsin’s sixth semifinal appearance under head coach Kelly Sheffield, where they hold a 3-2 record in previous matches.

Head-to-Head and Key Players

This will be the first time since the 2022 season that Wisconsin and Kentucky have faced each other, with the Badgers currently riding a three-match winning streak. Although they have yet to compete in the postseason, both teams feature AVCA Player of the Year finalists: Wisconsin’s Mimi Colyer and Kentucky’s Eva Hudson.

• Mimi Colyer: Named MVP of the NCAA Texas Regional All-Tournament Team, contributing 50 kills with a .340 hitting percentage.
• Carter Booth: Second in the nation in hitting percentage at .454, tallied 25 kills in their recent matches.
• Una Vajagic: Provided strong support with double-digit kills and an impressive .458 hitting percentage.
• Kristen Simon: Recorded 15 digs against Texas, just six away from tying the UW freshman record for most digs in a season.
• Charlie Fuerbringer: Achieved a career-best 61 assists against Stanford and has been a pivotal player since returning from injury.

Road to Kansas City

Wisconsin clinched their semifinal spot after defeating No. 2 Stanford and No. 1 Texas, both in four sets. Their hitting percentage against Stanford was a remarkable .420, marking a program high for a four-set match. This victory was particularly significant as they handed Texas only their second home loss of the season.

The Badgers are eager to advance to the National Championship match for the fifth time in their history, seeking to add another title to their collection since their last win in 2021. As they head to Kansas City, the team is poised for a strong performance in what promises to be an exciting semifinal showdown.