Wisconsin Badgers Volleyball: A History of NCAA Tournament Seeds and Success
The Wisconsin Badgers women's volleyball team has established itself as a national powerhouse, consistently earning berths to the NCAA Tournament and achieving deep runs in the postseason. With a rich history and a commitment to excellence, the Badgers have become a force to be reckoned with in collegiate volleyball.
Consecutive Appearances and Tournament Berth
For the 13th-straight season and 29th time in program history, the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament. This consistent presence in the tournament underscores the program's stability and its ability to maintain a high level of performance year after year.
The 2024 Tournament: A No. 3 Seed
The Badgers were selected as the No. 3 seed in the Texas Regional. As a No. 3 seed, Wisconsin (28-5) hosted the first- and second-round matches. In the first round, No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) faced Eastern Illinois (24-7), the Ohio Valley Conference champions. North Carolina (21-8) and No. The Badgers and the Panthers followed 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.
According to Badgers head coach Kelly Sheffield, “When you’re watching our team, you can see that we are getting better, but you can also see that there is some room there for improvement. And that’s what gets to be really exciting…feels like we’re still climbing, and the excitement and enthusiasm has never been higher.”
Wisconsin ended the regular season with a 24-4 record, earning victories in nine consecutive matches to close out the conference schedule. UW entered with eight wins over ranked opponents, most recently sweeping No. 18 Minnesota this past Friday to secure second place overall in the Big Ten. Eight other Big Ten teams earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, as Nebraska led the way as the number one overall seed. In the Texas Regional, the Badgers were joined by Indiana as the four seed and Penn State as the eight seed.
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“I think it’s just been a really fun team to coach, and I know Badger fans have absolutely loved watching these guys play,” Sheffield added. “And with this team, they’ve got one opportunity, maybe two opportunities, to see this group and to see some players amongst the all-time best in program history. That’s pretty cool.”
Hosting the First and Second Rounds
The Badgers hosted the First and Second round matches. In seven consecutive seasons, with the exception of the COVID year, the Badgers have hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. During that time period, UW has put together a flawless 13-0 record.
Wisconsin's Postseason Record
Wisconsin enters the NCAA Tournament with a 66-26 (.717) overall record in postseason play, notching a trip to the NCAA Regional Semifinals or beyond in every year of Sheffield’s tenure. All-session ticket packages for the NCAA First and Second Round matches went on sale on Monday, Dec.
A Look at Previous NCAA Tournament Runs During the Kelly Sheffield Era
Wisconsin volleyball knows what it's path will look like in the NCAA tournament. The Badgers are a No. 3 seed in the Texas regional. So the possible road to the Final Four would start in Madison and then go to Austin, Texas, before ending in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wisconsin has gone to the Final Four five times in Sheffield’s previous 12 seasons as head coach at Wisconsin. The most recent trip was in 2023, when the Badgers defeated Jackson State, Miami (Fla.), Penn State and Oregon before losing to eventual national champion Texas. The other Final Four trips were in 2013, 2019, 2020 and 2021. The 2021 team gave Wisconsin its first ever national championship.
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The top 16 overall teams in the NCAA tournament host the first two rounds. Wisconsin has fit this criteria in all but one of Sheffield’s seasons at Wisconsin. The 2017 Badgers were a No. 6 seed in their region and had to play the first two rounds in Ames, Iowa. (They went on to the regional after sweeping Marquette and host Iowa State.) The 2020 Badgers were a No. 1 seed in the tournament, but the entire tournament was held in Omaha, Nebraska, due to precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. UW had a first-round bye in the condensed bracket and reached the Final Four before losing to Texas.
Wisconsin has reached at least the regional semifinals in every season during Sheffield’s tenure. The last time that the Badgers were not in the second weekend of the tournament was 2012 - Pete Waite’s last season at UW - which also was the last time that the Badgers missed the tournament in its entirety. The Badgers have reached the regional final or farther in each of the last seven tournaments.
Year-by-year NCAA tournament outcomes for Wisconsin volleyball in Kelly Sheffield era:
- 2024: Lost in regional final to Nebraska
- 2023: Lost in national semifinal to Texas
- 2022: Lost in regional final to Pittsburgh
- 2021: Won national championship vs. Nebraska
The 2021 National Championship Victory
The Wisconsin Badgers just won their first national championship in program history. The Badgers pulled off the win in a five-set thriller over Nebraska. They executed their game plan at such a high level against a tough, hot, Nebraska team that just wouldn't go away. As a team, the Badgers posted 24 blocks, the most in a national championship game ever. Rettke notched 11 kills and had 13 blocks to her name. She had some big help, though, as the freshman Anna Smrek led offensively with 14 kills on .429 hitting, Jade Demps had a magnificent game with 12 kills on .396 hitting and Grace Loberg finished off her career with 10 kills. Sydney Hilley dished out 51 assists and ended the match with a perfect set, all net, to her roommate Rettke. This offense was able to get it done against an incredible Nebraska defense that posted 91 digs. It was so hard to put the ball away, but they got it done with great blocking and an amazing all-around effort.
The Badgers came out to a 7-0 start in the fifth. Absolutely everything went Wisconsin's way, but Nebraska re-grouped in a timeout with the mindset of "it's not over until its over." They chipped away at the deficit and got within three at 10-7, then 12-9, but Rettke and Demps gave the Badgers match point. Nebraska fought off two match points, and you could hear Madi Kubik encouraging her teammates "we can do this." Kubik then sent one out of bounds and Wisconsin rushed the court to celebrate its first-ever national title when John Cook flashed the challenge card for a touch. The call was overturned and Nebraska had a glimmer of hope, but Rettke, the National Player of the Year, finished it off. The most fitting end to her unbelievable career. Congratulations to Nebraska on an incredible turnaround season, making it to the title game and giving the Badgers the fight of their life after a season full of adversity.
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The Huskers won the fourth set 25-23 to stay alive. The championship was decided in the fifth set with the race to 15. In an all tied up set, Nebraska went on a 5-0 run with the title on the line. They took advantage of multiple Wisconsin mistakes and took a 21-17 lead. The Badgers fought off three set points to get within one, 24-23, but Keonilei Akana made a huge save and the freshman, Ally Batenhorst finished it off in one of the biggest moments all match. This match is as even as it gets, and it came down to the wire in the fifth.
The Badgers were now up two sets to one over Nebraska following a slow start to the match. After pulling out the win the second, the Badgers started to figure it out in the third and kept a slight edge most of the way. They improved all aspects of the game, but especially their passing and transitions. The Nebraska freshman have been pretty quiet in the second and third, with Madi Kubik and Kayla Caffey leading the way. But, they each posted a kill apiece to get within one at 23-22 and the Badgers took a timeout. A Wisconsin error tied it up, but then Devyn Robinson came up in the biggest way possible with two back-to-back kills to win the third set. The Wisconsin block is still coming up big for them with a lot of extra points coming their way, but they really figured out how to get their offense going. Demps is still leading with eight kills on .333 hitting, and Smrek is up to seven kills on .538 hitting.
The Huskers came out strong to start the second as well, and picked up a decent lead early and then maintained it most of the way. Wisconsin, though, went on a 9-3 run to get within one, 17-16. Grace Loberg picked up just her third kill, but it was a spark for the Badgers. She came up with a big block on the next play and then Dana Rettke tucked one in to take their first lead of the set since the very first point, 21-20. After that we ended up seeing NINE ties as Nebraska and Wisconsin alternated points. You could see it in all of Wisconsin's player's eyes. They were determined, dialed in, and clearly aware of how important this set was. Nebraska picked up set point 29-28, but Dana Rettke, the NPOY, came alive when the Badgers needed her. She put up three consecutive points with a kill and back-to-back solo blocks to win the set for Wisconsin. Nebraska is still playing really well, but Kayla Caffey is almost carrying her team on her back right now, and they need more players to play like that. She is up to 11 kills on .667 hitting. Wisconsin will need to slow down Caffey with some better serving. For the Badgers, Demps is up to six kills on .600 hitting, but Wisconsin needs Rettke and Anna Smrek to get some more touches. Rettke ensured the set two win, but only has three kills on the match. Wisconsin's block has been coming up big as of late, they have 14 blocks to Nebraska's five and the Huskers have a high 22 attacking errors.
The hot streak for Nebraska lives on. We have seen these two teams play twice already but Nebraska has never looked like this. Right out of the gates the Huskers started applying service pressure. The Badgers struggled early with their passing and defensive transition. In turn, Nebraska got a lot of free balls over the net and terminated balls. The Huskers stayed in the drivers seat with a lead the entire set. So far, the two middles for Nebraska are absolutely dominating. They are able to stay in system and Lauren Stivrins and Kayla Caffey are burying balls. Caffey has been lethal so far with just three kills but on .750 hitting and with enough power to burn a hole in the gym. Stivrins has four kills on .300 hitting, and the hot start for the senior leader is a great sign for the Huskers. Nebraska's transitioning has been great, and that all starts with good first touches in the backcourt. They hit under .200 on the set but also held Wisconsin to .171 hitting, a really low clip for the Badgers.
The Wisconsin Badgers are facing Nebraska for the title in an all Big Ten matchup. These two teams have played in the title match before, when Nebraska coach John Cook won his first national title as a Husker in 2000 in a five-set win over Wisconsin. For Wisconsin, we will see the 2021 AVCA National Player of the Year Dana Rettke in her fifth year looking to end her collegiate career on top. She is joined by first-team All American setter Sydney Hilley, and second-team All American libero Lauren Barnes. Nebraska has the 2021 AVCA Freshman of the Year Lexi Rodriguez in the backcourt, and All-Americans Kayla Caffey and Madi Kubik.
We have our 2021 DI women's volleyball national championship matchup, and its an all Big Ten battle. The four-seeded Wisconsin Badgers will take on 10-seed Nebraska for the trophy. The Huskers are looking for their sixth ever national title, after advancing to the championship following a season full of adversity. The Wisconsin program is looking for its first-ever national championship in its third trip to the finals. We will see an abundance of talent with so many super seniors looking for a fairytale ending to their collegiate careers.
The No. 10 Nebraska Huskers are headed to the national championship, and we have an all Big Ten final. The Huskers will take on Wisconsin for the third time this season for the trophy. Nebraska's historic win ended yet another historic season for an ACC team, as Pitt was eliminated. The Huskers are HOT at the right time, and it got them all the way to the national title game. This Nebraska team went through so much adversity this season, lineup changes, then some more changes, loss after loss, and now they are amongst the top two teams in the NCAA with three freshman in their rotation. After a slow first set for Nebraska, they turned on the jets to win the next three and advance in four sets. The Huskers name of the game tonight was blocking, defense and serving. They hit just .246 on the match, but this is pretty typical for Nebraska this season…. they get it done in other ways. The Huskers put up 10 blocks and six service aces, and applied pressure on the Panthers all night long from the service line. Madi Kubik led with 13 kills on .226 hitting and 13 digs, followed by Kayla Caffey, who added 10 kills and four blocks. Lindsay Krause ended up having a great night with nine kills at a .368 clip and then Stivrins, the heart of this team, posted nine on .529 hitting and six blocks. Nebraska controlled most of the fourth set, but Pitt was able to tie it up at 20. The Panthers were within one when Stivrins went off with two back-to-back kills to give Nebraska match point.
Nebraska kept the momentum going into the third set and took a 2-1 lead on the match with a 25-20 win in set three. We had an even set on our hands, tied up at 18 when Lauren Stivrins stepped back to the service line. As a middle blocker we haven't been used to seeing Stivrins serving, but she has been so successful in the tournament from the line. The Huskers went on a 6-0 run, including an ace from Stivrins, and took a 23-18 lead. They ultimately closed out the set on an 8-2 run, and Lindsay Krause hammered down the last kill. Nebraska also amped up their blocking game in that last set, they are now up to eight blocks compared to Pitt's five. Nebraska seems to have picked up the momentum and they are running with it.
Nebraska has evened the match at a set apiece with a 25-17 win in the second set. The Huskers turned it around in the second and flipped the narrative. This time around, the Huskers hit .440 and held Pitt to a low .161 compared to their .483 clip in the first set. Lauren Stivrins started heating up a bit early in the second set to give the Huskers a much needed spark, and she along with Kayla Caffey were able to get some things going out of the middle. Stivrins, Caffey and Lindsay Krause each have three kills, and Ally Batenhorst is up to four kills but hitting at a low percentage. It was all Pitt in the first and all Nebraska in the second.
The Pittsburgh Panthers took set one 25-16, without a doubt to set the tone of this match. The Panthers hit an impressive .483 as a team and held the Huskers to a .167 clip. Chinaza Ndee came out swinging with four kills at a .800 clip and Leketor Member-Meneh already has four kills on .429 hitting. Yet again, she is hitting around the block and all over the court. Madki Kubik has four kills for Nebraska early but unlike their win against Texas, they are lacking balance offensively.
The Wisconsin Badgers are headed back to the national championship with a four-set win over Louisville. The Badgers ended Louisville's perfect season with the win. This game was really all you could ask for. It felt like a national championship matchup. Anna Smrek had an absolutely insane night and performance to lead the Badgers to the title game. The freshman looked like a seasoned vet out there, and not just because of her 6'9 stature. Smrek posted 20 kills at a .741 clip against one of the best teams in the nation and some of the best blockers in the nation. She had just ONE error. Dana Rettke posted 14 kills at a .200 clip with eight blocks and Grace Loberg chipped in 13 kills. Devyn Robinson played a big role towards the end of the match - she is always such a big spark for this Badgers team, and came up with a monumental block in the fifth. Enough about the offense, though, I cannot say enough about Lauren Barnes. She led Wisconsin's defense and she alone made all the difference for Wisconsin. She was all over the court - digging, setting, passing, launching her body all over the floor to keep the ball alive. Barnes posted 19 digs on the match. She is more than a difference maker, she deserves every kudo there is. Late in the fifth, the Badgers went on a 4-0 scoring run to take a 9-6 lead. Louisville chipped away at the deficit but Robinson came out with a monster block on Claire Chaussee to go up 11-8. With the momentum on their side of the net they took a 12-8 lead and Dani Busboom-Kelly took a timeout. Loberg hammered one down out of the timeout to get the Badgers within two, and then Aiko Jones sent one out of bounds to give Wisconsin match point.
The Cards will play on. Louisville won the fourth set 25-23 off of an ace from Cece Rush to force a fifth set and keep their perfect season alive. Anna Stevenson was called for reaching over the net to tie the match up at 23, angering the Cardinals fanbase, but they came out fired up and notched two back-to-back to win the fourth. There is no other way I would expect this match to go. It is only fair that this thing is going to five sets with how well both these teams are playing. Wisconsin just took set three 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead on the match. Anna Smrek is rolling. Absolutely rolling. 17 kills with zero errors at an .850 clip. When the Badgers are in system and get it to Smrek out of the middle, they are lethal. After hitting a low .167 in the second set, the Badgers hit .375 in the third and held the Cards to .222. Louisville is blocking really well, with nine blocks to Wisconsin's six, but the Badgers are doing better and better hitting around the block as the match goes on.
Program History
Wisconsin Badgers women's volleyball is the team representing the University of Wisconsin-Madison in NCAA Division I women's volleyball. The university has a rich volleyball tradition, with origins dating back to 1974. They won a national title in 2021.
Under coach John Cook, the Badgers achieved a 30-3 overall record, which was the best record since the team's inception (until they reached 31-3 in 2021), the team had a bye to the second round, where they beat Central Florida 3-0, and in the Sweet Sixteen, the team beat Notre Dame 3-1. The Badgers' overall record was 30-5, and reached the Elite Eight. The Badgers beat Arkansas-Little Rock 3-0 in the first round, San Diego 3-0 in the second round, and UCSB 3-2 in the Sweet Sixteen. The Badgers, under head coach Pete Waite, reached the NCAA national final, finishing with an overall record of 33-4. The 7-seed Badgers defeated Bucknell 3-0 in the first round, Northern Iowa 3-1 in the second round, Kansas State 3-1 in the Sweet Sixteen, 15-seed UCLA 3-1 in the Elite Eight, and 3-seed USC 3-0 in the Final Four. The team fell just short of a national championship, falling to 1-seed Nebraska 3-2. The Nebraska side was coached by former Badgers head coach John Cook. Following 2 consecutive second-round losses, the team found themselves in the Elite Eight again, finishing with an overall record of 22-10. The following year, the team made the Elite Eight again, finishing with an overall record of 26-7.
Following a disappointing period (2008-2012) under Waite, head coach Kelly Sheffield, the former head coach of Albany and Dayton, was hired. In Sheffield's first season, the Badgers went 28-10. The 12-seed Badgers defeated Milwaukee 3-0 in the first round, California 3-0 in the second round, Florida State 3-1 in the Sweet Sixteen, and Purdue 3-1 in the Elite Eight. The team then became the lowest-seeded team to advance to the championship match, upsetting 1-seed Texas 3-1 in the Final Four. The "Cinderella" story, however, came to an end after being defeated by 2-seed Penn State in the championship. The following year, the team went 31-3, the best record the team had ever achieved up to this point. Entering the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers were seeded fourth. The Badgers defeated Western Michigan 3-0 in the first round, Illinois State 3-0 in the second round, and Ohio State 3-2 in the Sweet Sixteen. The Badgers were beaten, however, by 5-seed Penn State in the Elite Eight. The team went 28-5, earning themselves a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers defeated Howard 3-0 in the first round, Washington State 3-0 in the second round, and Ohio State 3-2 in the Sweet Sixteen. Following a Sweet 16 appearance in 2017, the Badgers reached the Elite Eight once again in 2018. Following an overall record of 25-7, the 6-seed Badgers beat Green Bay 3-0 in the first round, Pepperdine 3-1 in the second round, and San Diego 3-0 in the Sweet Sixteen. The 2019 Badgers finished the season 27-7, and earned the fourth overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin swept Illinois State, UCLA, 13th seeded Texas A&M, and fifth seeded Nebraska to reach the Final-4. The Badgers defeated top seeded Baylor 3-1 in its third Final-4 appearance.
In a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic and played in Spring 2021, the Badgers finished the season 18-1, and earned the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin swept Weber State, & 16th seeded BYU, before defeating eighth seeded Florida 3-2 in the Elite Eight. The Badgers finished 31-3 on the season. Championship Round: The Badgers pulled off the championship victory in a five-set thriller over #10 Nebraska. As a team, the Badgers posted 24 blocks, the most in a national championship. Rettke notched 11 kills and 13 blocks, while freshman Anna Smrek led offensively with 14 kills on .429 hitting, Jade Demps had 12 kills on .396 hitting, and Grace Loberg finished off her career with 10 kills. Sydney Hilley dished out 51 assists. The Badgers finished the season 28-4, and earned the 3rd overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers swept Quinnipiac, and TCU to advance to the Regionals for the 10th consecutive year. Wisconsin finished the season 30-4, and earned the 3rd overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers swept Jackson State, and Miami(FL) to advance to the Regionals for the 11th consecutive year. The Badgers defeated (5) Penn State 3-1 in the Sweet Sixteen, and (2) Oregon 3-1 in the Elite 8. Wisconsin finished the season 26-7, and earned the 7th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers swept Fairfield, before knocking off Georgia Tech 3-1 to advance to the Regionals for the 12th consecutive year. The Badgers defeated Texas A&M 3-2 in the Sweet Sixteen. Wisconsin finished the season 28-5, and earned the 11th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers swept Eastern Illinois and North Carolina to advance to the Regionals for the 13th consecutive year. The Badgers defeated (2) Stanford 3-1 in the Sweet Sixteen, Wisconsin's first win over the Cardinal in program history. In the Elite Eight, the Badgers defeated (1) Texas 3-1 in Austin.
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