Badgers volleyball advances to NCAA Final Four

(UW ATHLETICS) 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.