Final Four: Wisconsin volleyball continues quest for 1st national title

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has reached the Final Four of the women’s NCAA volleyball tournament for the third straight season.

No. 4 Wisconsin will face the No. 1 Louisville on Thursday evening. The other semifinal match features No. 3 Pittsburgh and No. 10 Nebraska. The winners will play for the championship Saturday.

“The games are just going to come down to the wire. They’re going to be battles, so we’re really looking forward to that,” said Badgers setter Sydney Hilley.

Hilley is one of several grad students who chose to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include players like Lauren Barnes and Dana Rettke, who will be remembered as some of the program’s top athletes.

“We’re getting another shot at it, so I’m just really happy that we put ourselves in position to give ourselves one more chance,” Hilley said.

The Badgers have reached nine consecutive Sweet 16s, and they won their third straight Big Ten championship this season. Despite all their success, Wisconsin has never won a national title in volleyball. The Badgers came close two years ago, falling to Stanford in the last match of the season.

Hilley spoke to reporters at the UW Fieldhouse this week. It’s been emotional knowing her playing career in the building is over, she said. The final rounds of the NCAA volleyball tournament are being held in Columbus, Ohio.

“Everything feels brand new,” said freshman Julia Orzol. “But with this group, I feel confident to play by their side.”

The outside hitter from Poland was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Rettke was the last Badger to win that honor.

“The team is just really pumped. It’s such a great event for us and so much fun. It’s such great competition. It’s really the pinnacle of our sport here in the United States, so it’s just really awesome to be a part of that,” Rettke said.

The team will benefit from its recent experience deep in the NCAA tournament, she said. It’s also important for the Badgers to stay loose, even as the stakes get higher, she said.

“At the end of the day, it’s volleyball. We love to play volleyball. It’s why we do it. We love each other, so there’s no reason not to have fun,” Rettke said.

In this year’s tournament, Wisconsin beat Colgate, Florida Gulf Coast, UCLA and Minnesota to advance to the national semifinal.

Editor’s note: Alyssa Allemand contributed reporting.