For the 13th-straight season and 29th time in program history, the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers are a No. 3 seed in the Texas regional, according to the bracket announced on Nov. 30 during a selection show that aired on ESPN.
Wisconsin will host the first- and second-round matches on Thursday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 5 at the UW Field House.
In the first round, No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) will face Eastern Illinois (24-7), the Ohio Valley Conference champions. North Carolina (21-8) and No. 6 UTEP (25-4) will battle in the first matchup at the UW Field House, set to start at 4:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Badgers and the Panthers will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match. On Friday, the winners of those matches will face off at 7 p.m. CT. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
“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,” Badgers head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “And that’s what gets to be really exciting…feels like we’re still climbing, and the excitement and enthusiasm has never been higher.”
Top-ranked Nebraska, the nation’s only unbeaten team, is the No. 1 overall seed.
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. The Badgers finished the regular season with a 24-4 record, earning victories in nine consecutive matches to close out the conference schedule.
All-session ticket packages for the NCAA First and Second Round matches go on sale on Monday, Dec. 1, at 9 a.m. online at www.UWBadgers.com.
