A 'goofball,' 'fierce competitor:' 8 things to know about Wisconsin volleyball's freshman setter
Here's what Badgers fans should know about a freshman setter who'll be asked to step up further this season.
MADISON, Wis. — Addy Horner created a core memory on the University of Wisconsin volleyball court last weekend that Kelly Sheffield’s already reminiscing about.
Horner, a freshman, needed to enter Wisconsin’s match against Michigan during the first set at the Field House on Sunday after an injury to All-American setter Charlie Fuerbringer. The Badgers also were holding their second annual Silent Set Match, where according to a press release last season, the program teamed with Chasing Greatness to “raise awareness for the funding, resources and education needed for the hard of hearing and hearing loss community.”
The Field House was “dead quiet,” as described by Sheffield, when Horner stepped onto the court as fans were expected to stay silent for the team’s first eight points. But Horner drilled an ace that elicited an eruption of cheers from the crowd and tied the first set at 9-9 during Wisconsin’s eventual three-set sweep.
“It gives you goose bumps just thinking of it,” Sheffield said. “That ought to be stored away in her memory bank for the rest of her life of what that had to feel like right there.”
Horner said Tuesday she’s looked back on that moment a couple of times.
“I think my brain was still running pretty fast at that time, but I tried to take a step and just be where my feet are and look around,” Horner said. “We talked about that, taking a second to look around, realize where you are, and then right back to the next point.
“So I’ve gone back and rewatched it, and, yeah, it’s kind of like a moment that’ll give me chills that I’ll definitely remember forever. The atmosphere is like no other place, so that was really cool.”
Horner finished with a career-high 35 assists, seven digs, three blocks and two aces against Michigan. She’ll be one to keep tabs on this weekend with road matches at No. 16 Penn State and Maryland forthcoming, as Sheffield said Tuesday that there’s still no timeline regarding Fuerbringer’s return.
Here’s what else to know about Horner.