Wisconsin star Sarah Franklin put it perfectly when she said, “They were all over the floor.” This is exactly what was witnessed during Wisconsin’s difficult clash with Nebraska in the NCAA Regional Final. The top-seeded Cornhuskers defeated the second-seeded Badgers in straight sets, 24-26, 17-25, 21-25, but the Badgers had to struggle hard for each point. The Badgers struggled in attack, making 38 kills with 22 errors and 127 attempts at an efficiency of .126. Despite Sarah Franklin, who contributed 12 kills as the team’s leading scorer, the team simply could not overpower the Nebraskan defense.

This season, Wisconsin again proved itself, recording 20+ wins for the 14th consecutive season. Ending the season with 26-7, the Badgers’ story is one of hard work and development. Sarah Franklin, who has now officially hung her volley jersey after a distinguished career that saw her score 1,421 kills, placing her seventh on the all-time list, has closed this chapter. Being a senior now, this is the end of her collegiate journey after creating these memories and achieving these milestones. And now, with her heart full of gratitude and emotions, she crafted a heartfelt note, reflecting on the moments that shaped her path and the people who made it all possible.

Sarah Franklin is set to say goodbye!

On December 16th, Sarah Franklin took to Instagram with a heartfelt montage of moments from her time at Wisconsin. The photos captured everything—emotions pouring out, teammates cheering in hurdles, and a final embrace with teammates, soaking it all in. Her caption was just as emotional, writing, “Wisconsin, I don’t think I will be able to express how much gratitude I have for this program, these girls, and all the fans. These three years have been more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you to the fans for your unwavering support and love you give to Badger Volleyball, I am so honored to be a part of something so special. Thank you to all my teammates who have truly made this place unlike any other. I am so grateful for these girls who have pushed me more than I ever thought possible.”

She continued to express her heartfelt thanks, saying, “Thank you to this program, these phenomenal coaches and staff. You gave me the tools to pursue my dreams and believed in me every step of the way. Badger Volleyball, you will always have a very special place in my heart, I love you all❤️ -#13 out. Stay tuned for what’s next.” During the 2024 season, she was promoted to be a team captain, and she performed excellently well.

Sarah Franklin was everywhere this season, played in all 32 matches, and had double-digit kills in 30 of them this season. Oh, and let’s talk records—she had 33 kills against Marquette, which tied for the highest single-match total for the school. As team captain, leading the squad, Sarah has been on fire—ranked second in the Big Ten and twentieth in the NCAA with an incredible 4.47 kills per set average. Oh, and 9 matches with 20+ kills and 8 double-doubles—she’s a real beast on the court! But did you know that while she ruled this season, last year she went through a major injury?

Franklin suffers a health scare!

Who could have thought in 2023 that Sarah Franklin would have such a hard time in fitness? That lanky player had always been reliable and could always handle the load with little to no problem. But the constant pain in her arm took her towards the scan table. What happened after was indeed a shock; because of a clot somewhere else in her body, three other small blood clots appeared in her right forearm which needed to be operated on. This was why her palm was white, chilly, and wet each time during the session, and why each slam of the ball was a fight.

After talking with experts, she got to know there were two major causes of it, out of which thoracic outlet syndrome is more frequent than the less familiar quadrilateral space syndrome. TOS, the experts considered the compression of blood vessels and nerves between the neck and shoulder more serious than quadrilateral space syndrome. And patients with quadrilateral space syndrome, which is an impairment of nerves and arteries in the shoulder area, could get well much quicker.

The weight of it all was clear from a few words shared by Sarah Franklin last year. She said, “I was told before surgery, if it was thoracic, if your artery is pinched too much, you won’t be able to play because you’ll be at more risk for blood clots.” Fortunately, a 5.5-hour surgery helped her. However, the struggle came back this July while with the national team in the Dominican Republic. She had a slight fracture of the ankle accompanied by a sprain and, being under the care of the Wisconsin University doctors, she gradually improved.