Wisconsin Badgers women's volleyball is the team representing the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division I women's

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. The university has a rich volleyball tradition, with origins dating back to 1974. They won a national title in 2021. They have had eleven head coaches since the team's inception. In the 2021 season, they ranked second in attendance among all Division I volleyball programs, averaging 7,540 fans over 15 regular season matches.

Elite Eight appearances

The Badgers have reached the Elite Eight in the

NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament The NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament is an annual event organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champion of women's collegiate volleyball among its Division I members in the United States. ...

15 times.

1997

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 Central Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, in ...

3–0, and in the Sweet Sixteen, the team beat Notre Dame 3–1. The team lost to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

3–2 in the Elite Eight.

1998

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 San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

3–0 in the second round, and

UCSB The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an independent teachers college, UCSB joine ...

3–2 in the Sweet Sixteen. The team lost to

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

3–2 in the Elite Eight.

2000

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 Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

3–1 in the second round,

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...

3–1 in the Sweet Sixteen, 15-seed

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

3–1 in the Elite Eight, and 3-seed

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

3–0 in the Final Four. The team fell just short of a national championship, falling to 1-seed

3–2. The Nebraska side was coached by former Badgers head coach John Cook. Both Lizzy Fitzgerald and Sherisa Livingston made the Final Four All-Tournament team.

2004

Following 2 consecutive second-round losses, the team found themselves in the Elite Eight again, finishing with an overall record of 22–10. The 14-seed Badgers defeated Loyola 3–0 in the first round, Notre Dame 3–0 in the second round, and 3-seed

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

3–2 in the Sweet Sixteen, before being shut out by

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

in the Elite Eight.

2005

The following year, the team made the Elite Eight again, finishing with an overall record of 26–7. The 11-seed Badgers defeated Loyola 3–0 in the first round,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

3–0 in the second round, and 6-seed Notre Dame 3–2 in the Sweet Sixteen, before being knocked out by 3-seed and eventual champion

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

3–0 in the Elite Eight.

2013

Following a disappointing period (2008–2012) under Waite, head coach Kelly Sheffield, the former head coach of Albany and

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, was hired. In Sheffield's first season, the Badgers went 28–10. The 12-seed Badgers defeated

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

3–0 in the first round,

3–0 in the second round,

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

3–1 in the Sweet Sixteen, and

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...

3–1 in the Elite Eight. The team then became the lowest-seeded team to advance to the championship match, upsetting 1-seed

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

3–1 in the Final Four. The "

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

" story, however, came to an end after being defeated by 2-seed

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

in the championship. Deme Morales and Lauren Carlini made the Final Four All-Tournament team.

2014

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 West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...

3–0 in the first round,

Illinois State Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching ...

3–0 in the second round, and

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

3–2 in the Sweet Sixteen. The Badgers were beaten, however, by 5-seed

in the Elite Eight. Penn State would go on to win the tournament.

2016

The team went 28–5, earning themselves a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers defeated

Howard Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'' notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for ...

3–0 in the first round,

Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

3–0 in the second round, and

3–2 in the Sweet Sixteen. The team lost to 6-seed

, the eventual winners, with a score of 3–2.

2018

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

3–0 in the Sweet Sixteen. The team lost to 3-seed

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

3–1 in the Elite Eight.

2019

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

to reach the Final-4. The Badgers defeated top seeded Baylor 3–1 in its third Final-4 appearance. In the NCAA Championship, Wisconsin fell to third seeded Stanford 3–0.

2020

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. In their fourth NCAA Final-4 appearance, Wisconsin fell to fourth seeded Texas 3–0.

2021

The Badgers finished 31–3 on the season. Ranked #1 in the Big Ten conference, the Badgers carried a #4 ranking into the tournament. The Badgers swept their way to the Final Four, defeating Colgate, Florida Gulf Coast, #13 UCLA, and #12 Minnesota. Semifinal Round: The Badgers were able to take down the previously unbeaten #1 seed Louisville in the semi-final round of the tournament in a 5 set match. Championship Round: The Badgers pulled off the championship victory in a five-set thriller over #10

. 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. Referencing: Michella Chester, NCAA reporting 12/18/2021

2022

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. The Badgers defeated (4) Penn State 3–2 in the Sweet Sixteen, before falling to (2) Pitt 3–2 in the Elite Eight.

2023

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. The Badgers advanced to its 6th Final 4 appearance where it fell to (2) Texas 3–1.

2024

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. The season came to an end in the Elite Eight with the Badgers falling 3–0 to the 2nd overall seed, Nebraska.

Results by season

All-Americans

In all, Wisconsin has 29 total

AVCA The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is an organization of over 9,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit corporation, non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association. It is cur ...

All-Americans, including five first team All-Americans. Among these five, Dana Rettke is the nation's only ever five-time first team All-American, largely due to the NCAA's decision not to count the 2020–21 school year, heavily disrupted by

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, against the college eligibility of any women's volleyball player.
* denotes Big Ten Player of the Year
^ denotes AVCA National Player of the Year

First team

Second team

Third team

* Morgan Shields – 2001 * Jill Odenthal – 2004 * Sheila Shaw – 2005 * Taylor Reineke – 2007 * Tionna Williams – 2016 * Molly Haggerty – 2016 * Madison Duello – 2018 * Devyn Robinson – 2020, 2022 * Danielle Hart – 2022 * Sarah Franklin – 2022 * Carter Booth – 2023 * Charlie Fuerbringer - 2024

Other honors

Academic All-Americans

*Kathy Cogan – 1983 *Lauren Carlini – 2016 *Sydney Hilley – 2019, 2020, 2021 *Julia Orzol – 2023

Olympic Medalists

* Lauren Carlini - Paris '24 Silver Medalist (USA) * Dana Rettke - Paris '24 Silver Medalist (USA) * Most Outstanding Player, NCAA Final Four: Anna Smrek –

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

* Elite 90, NCAA Championships: Julia Orzol – 2023

References

External links

* {{University of Wisconsin–Madison

Elite Eight appearances

1997

1998

2000

2004

2005

2013

2014

2016

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Results by season

All-Americans

First team

Second team

Third team

Other honors

Academic All-Americans

Olympic Medalists

See also

References

External links