As the 2025 NCAA volleyball season promises another year of scintillating action, programs are scurrying to fill the void left by their exiting seniors. From the Nebraska Huskers to the Wisconsin Badgers, almost all colleges are on a recruiting spree before the season commences later this year. Among them, the Badgers’ head coach Kelly Sheffield has been making the most of the transfer portal. While his new signings are getting flak from some fans, one volleyball pundit continues to believe that Wisconsin has won the transfer market.

Among the new athletes signed by Coach Sheffield for the 2025 season are Grace Egan, Grace Lopez, and Mimi Colyer. All three of these stars will arrive from other colleges to add depth to the Wisconsin Badgers’ roster. But that has irked some fans apparently, but former Northwestern student-athlete Emily Ehman has something to say about it.

In a post on X from January 27, the volleyball analyst schooled one hater who attempted to throw shade at Sheffield’s coaching skills. Sneering at how Egan, Lopez, and Colyer were developed by the Ohio State, Miami, and Oregon programs respectively, the fan wrote on X, “Coach can’t coach up his own recruits. He has to go to the portal and get players that other coaches have developed.” But Ehman wasn’t having any of it.

“This is objectively a horrible take,” the former volleyball star slammed the fan’s opinion. She went on to remind the community how Coach Sheffield was the mentor for two Olympians, Dana Rettke and Lauren Carlini during their time as Wisconsin Badgers athletes. Ehman also underscored that both these two Wisconsin stars boast All-American honors, that came under Sheffield’s tutelage. She also didn’t forget about the former Badger Sydney Hilley who currently plies her trade with the Omaha Supernovas. Naturally, it isn’t hard to understand that the analyst has almost blind faith in Kelly’s capabilities as a volleyball coach.

In a social media post by the official Big Ten Volleyball account, Ehman reiterated her thoughts about Badgers’ transfer portal activities. “Wisconsin easily won the transfer portal in my mind, signing three huge pins after most of their front line graduated this season,” she said. Even Kelly himself is excited to see what the new signees bring to the table. After roping in the 3x AVCA All-American Mimi Coyler, the coach said, To be able to add her to our team has been a big-time pickup for us. She is a fearless attacker and server.” However, the new recruits don’t ensure the NCAA trophy just now, as Wisconsin’s opponents aren’t sitting idle either.

Where does the Wisconsin Badgers’ transfer season stand compared to their opponents’?

The 2024 season wasn’t the best for Kelly Sheffield & Co. Despite being a program with a national title to its name, the Badgers finished the season with an average 26-7 record (17-3 in Big 12). But the most disheartening aspect of the campaign was the three defeats at the hands of the Nebraska Huskers. Two of those defeats came in Big Ten matchups, while the last one cost the Badgers a place in the NCAA Semifinal. The Huskers ended Wisconsin’s 11-year-long winning streak on their home turf and shattered Kelly’s hopes of winning his second NCAA championship. However, Nebraska is also left with a gaping hole in its roster after five of its seniors, including co-captain Lexi Rodriguez, left the campus at the end of last year. Head coach John Cook has also been working overtime to make sure the roster is stacked once again for the 2025 season.

Coach Cook has signed five new recruits, including Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year Teraya Sigler, and 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships gold medalist and USA U19 team member Campbell Flynn. But Wisconsin has been a little too active than its rivals.

Sheffield pulled a quick one over Purdue when he signed the No. 1 libero in the country Aniya Warren. Warren had previously committed to the Boilermakers but announced her decision to join the Wisconsin Badgers last December. Warren will be joined by setter Addy Horner, defensive player Kristen Simon, middle blocker Natalie Wardlow, and OH Madison Quest. With the new signees on board, the Badgers’ depth looks impressive, and one would be hard-pressed to speculate how things would pan out when the team squares off against the Huskers next. How do you think Kelly Sheffield’s 2025 will look like with the new stars? Tell us!