After a season marked with Olympic fanfare, it is time to move on to NCAA volleyball. This time, the fanfare around the volleyball season seems to find super waves as the Big Ten Conference has welcomed four new members: USC, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA. Among those new entrants, both Oregon and Washington have their matches with the revered name in the conference, the Wisconsin Badgers volleyball women’s team. 

While the University of Oregon will step into UW Field House on October 12, Washington will have its chance early, on October 6. However, the Badgers camp already set the tone by opening the ticket sale in early May. That extra effort might result in a full house at the Badgers’ home arena on those days. The current form of the home team in the Badgers’ den might play the catalyst as well. But before moving to those factors, the history of the NCAA Wisconsin Volleyball women’s team deserves some much-needed spotlight. 

Wisconsin Badgers volleyball women’s history

The women’s volleyball team in the jersey of Cardinal and White came into formation in 1974-75, for the first time in history. Since then, there has not been looking back. Between 1993 and 2007, the Badgers made it to the national runner-up once. But at the same time, the squad had three B1G titles, claimed an NIT Championship, and was counted among the Elite 8 for a whopping five times. But soon a heartbreak followed. 

After 2007, the Wisconsin Volleyball women’s team found itself on a losing streak—five in a row. Such a disappointing result forced the authorities to sack the then-head coach, Pete Waite. He was replaced by Kelly Sheffield, the legendary coach who had his own way of settling with the situation. The result was the resurrection of a team that had started 16th in 2013 and found a way to climb as high as the NCAA Regional Finals in the next season. Furthermore, the Badgers claimed the Big Ten Conference championship in the same year. Notably, Kelly Sheffield still reigns at the top. Under his tutelage, the squad has gained an unflinching run in the home arena, UW Field House. Now that leads the discussion to the information of the arena. 

All about Wisconsin Badgers volleyball women’s home venue, records, and achievements

Opened in 1930, the UW Field House has been witness to many ups and downs. Initially, the arena hosted a few handpicked contests where the wrestling matches were also included. But later, in 1988, with the formation of the Kohl Center, the UW Field House became the permanent address of the volleyball squad. Since then, several modifications have made it a state-of-the-art facility. With the locker room, there are now facilities like the refreshing corner or team room. Another added advantage is that the arena holds more than 7,000 seats for the audience. Those staggering numbers have been added to as a support base, and it has been often reflected in the scores.

This season, the Wisconsin Volleyball women’s team has yet to lose a game in both Kohl Center and UW Field House. Last year as well, the record was high. In 2022, the No. 5 ended up winning its 4th straight Big Ten championship. Furthermore, the winning percentage was also high, as it was the ninth straight season with winning 22 or more matches in a single season. However, after 2021, the camp has yet to claim the NCAA championship. 

Wisconsin volleyball’s current team and coach

In 2021, when Wisconsin defeated Nebraska in the Nationwide Arena in Columbus to claim the NCAA title, 18,755 fans turned up. It still stands at number 4 in the all-time attendance record list of women’s volleyball. Can this time the Badgers gain a better number, climbing high to the finals? A lot of responsibilities rest on the shoulders of coach Kelly Sheffield. The winningest coach has a spectacular resume, despite never playing the sport. However, when he joined the fold back in 2012, the squad was in a slump. But now, the team has a shiny record book. Additionally, the Badgers can boast of someone who played in the Paris Olympics a few weeks ago.

Lauren Carlini, the four-time All-American setter for the Wisconsin Badgers, was included in the women’s volleyball squad for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. However, she has several names to fit in her shoes on the Wisconsin volleyball women’s team. Julia Orjhol, Anna Smrek, Morgan Van Wie, and Devyn Robinson are a few of them. On the other hand, Sheffield will play the head coaching role. He will be supported by Brittany Dildine, Gary White, and Annemarie Hickey. Are you excited for this team?