The University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball program has been nearly flawless for multiple seasons and continues to perform at a high level early this fall.
Head coach Kelly Sheffield and UW created this dynasty when he was hired in 2013. Since then, UW has accumulated four Final Four appearances, ten-straight Sweet-Sixteen-or-better tournament finishes and now has his group ranked as the No. 1 squad in the land.
Coming off of their historic 2021 National Championship run, UW looked to repeat as champions of the nation. Unfortunately for the Badgers, their plans were cut short in the Elite Eight — dropping a national semifinal matchup to the University of Pittsburgh in an intense match.
It was a slight setback for the Badgers, but they’ve so far bounced back and taken the field by storm — finding new ways to win with a deep set of players.
“The team is doing great, lots of good energy in the gym,” student manager Vince Nayman, a sophomore at UW, said. “I think what’s special about this group too. They all understand the weight of being a top collegiate athlete, and they don’t let it get to their heads very much. They just come to the gym, play the game well, and obviously that shows with being No. 1 in the country.”
The attitude presented in both games and practices starts with Sheffield, as the veteran head coach brings a realistic approach to when he coaches his players. It’s a trait that’s appreciated throughout the program.
Sheffield’s ability to recognize when to be fun and when to be serious is noteworthy amongst the population who surround him in the UW Field House.
“He definitely wants the girls to play at their best, but he also understands that they can’t be perfect in every game,” Nayman said. “I think Kelly [Sheffield] is also unique too, in the aspect of he’ll keep it real with the girls. So, if there’s something that needs to be fixed or that he feels should be tightened up a little bit, whether it’s skillswise or anything like that, he’ll definitely mention it.”
In addition to the prowess of Sheffield and the coaching staff, the players continue to feed off of his energy in a gauntlet of a non-conference slate. They have been dominant so far, taking down some of the top teams in the nation — including the University of Florida, University of Tennessee, University of Arkansas and Baylor University, to name a few.
Women’s Volleyball: Wisconsin dominates in weekend of action, improves to 7-0
This only makes UW stronger heading into the conference portion of their season, which begins Sept. 22 against Northwestern University.
“Really excited with the pre-conference and what we went through,” associate head coach Gary White said in a press conference. “Nine matches against really quality opponents, kind of being able to test ourselves in one, different environments, and two, against some different styles of teams.”
The well-roundedness presented through the first month of the season is a standout trait for the Badgers’ strength of schedule.
It has also allowed new members of the team to get settled in — highlighted by Northwestern transfer Temi Thomas-Ailara and University of Minnesota transfer Carter Booth, who have assumed key roles in the program.
Their play on both the front and back line, in addition to known stars in seniors Devyn Robinson and Sarah Franklin, have led UW to success early on.
Setter Izzy Ashburn recently set the Wisconsin all-time record for aces in a career — 167 — emphasizing the depth and all-american features this team presents.
These traits, along with the rising popularity of women’s volleyball, spark an excitement wherever the Badgers travel in 2023.
“Everyone wants to be a part of big stuff,” Sheffield said in a press conference. “The players do, coaches do, media does. We want to be a program that inspires our fanbase to cheer for us and be a loveable team. We’re inspirational for an opponents’ fanbase that they want to show up.”
Over a one-week span, UW and Marquette set the all-time indoor attendance record, as the Badgers took down the Golden Eagles in four sets (3–1).
A couple of days later, UW traveled south to Gainesville to take on the Gators — avenging their loss at the Kohl Center Classic last season with a reverse sweep of their own. It was there where they set Florida’s all-time indoor attendance record for a women’s volleyball game.
This comes after the monumental performance the University of Nebraska-Lincoln put on in front of their fans, filling 92,003 seats at Memorial Stadium for an outdoor matchup against Omaha University.
It sparks the excitement the sport has created for the past couple of years, as UW has garnered the utmost respect and popularity while being a top-ranked team for the entirety of 2023 and in years past.
With the attention and glamor, Sheffield and his coaching staff understand how to control the hype — keeping it simple and straightforward outside of the game setting.
“…This year I think he’s approaching it the same way,” Nayman said about Sheffield’s mentality. “We never talk about Big Ten titles. We never talk about championships because we all know that’s what we all want. We just come in every day and just play volleyball.”
UW will now continue a stretch in the Big Ten, arguably the strongest conference among the Power 5 in the volleyball scene. A total of 20 games, looking to bring home another Big Ten Championship in the process.
“The passionate fan bases we have from top to bottom, that’s kind of the cool part about playing in the Big Ten,” White said about entering conference play. “Every place you go to is a packed house, whether that’s on the road… you’re always playing in front of a crowd that believes in the sport.”
The season will continue into the late fall, blossoming into a playoff atmosphere by the time December rolls around. This is highlighted by the NCAA National Semifinals on Dec. 14, followed up by the NCAA National Championship on Dec. 17 in Tampa, Florida, a possible destination for this group in just a couple of months.
