What stood out from Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield during Big Ten volleyball media days
More from the 20-minute conversation with reporters as the Badgers' preseason practices ramp up.
It’s quite the gauntlet to start the season for a young but reloading University of Wisconsin volleyball program.
Coach Kelly Sheffield and his staff replaced key contributors Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth this offseason with a revamped roster featuring 11 new players. Early returns during the Badgers’ spring schedule showed promise with transfers Jaela Auguste and Eva Travis, along with 2026 signees Halle Thompson, Audrey Flanagan and Lynney Tarnow. But Wisconsin’s nonconference schedule is a murderers’ row of programs who have extensive postseason experience.
Eight of Wisconsin’s 10 foes before Big Ten play at least made it to the round of 32 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Of those eight, six who made it to the Sweet 16, and the Badgers will face the other three Final Four teams from the 2025 season. There’s also a Texas road trip where the Badgers will attempt to take down the defending national champion Aggies on Sept. 11 and then the Longhorns two days later.
That’s on top of a conference schedule where eight league foes made last season’s NCAA Tournament.
“This is not only the toughest schedule I think we’ve ever had, I can’t imagine there’s been anybody that has put together — not put together — but maybe just said yes as many times as what we did with who we’re playing,” Sheffield said Monday.
The regular season begins in less than three weeks with running back a national semifinal matchup against Kentucky at 8 p.m. CT on Aug. 21, which is part of the AVCA First Serve at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Wisconsin immediately follows up the next day with a 3 p.m. match against Louisville, but there should be some home state advantage with the 90-minute trip east.
“I don’t know if people know how unique how the season is opening up is,” Sheffield said. “The (AVCA) First Serve events in Milwaukee, you can make an argument, I don’t know if I have another event that has had a stronger collection of talent in our sports history than what is going to be under that one roof to start the season. You don’t see other sports that are just going that many of late matches right off the bat.
“I started this (availability) off by talking about being a competitive junkie. If you’re a competitive junkie that just loves watching sports, you’re going to be in that building watching. You’ll have your high school teacher, club teams over there.”
Sheffield, junior setter Charlie Fuerbringer and redshirt junior outside hitter Grace Egan answered questions from reporters who attended Big Ten volleyball media days in person in Chicago and via Zoom on Monday. Here’s what stood out in those 20 minutes, and for a quick refresher, check out our takeaways from the Badgers’ spring slate.
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