Scoreboard

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — It is all too well known that last December in Tampa, Florida, the No. 3-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team lost in four sets to No. 1 Texas: 28-30, 25-23, 15-25, 11-25 in the first match of the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase held Sunday afternoon at the Fiserv Forum.

As expected, the first set was a back and forth battle, with 16 draws and four lead changes. Wisconsin created some distance with a block of Anna Smrek And Devyn Robinsonand took a 13-9 lead. But a service run from Madisen Skinner made it 13 apiece. A kill from Sarah Franklin UW out, but Texas responded again with a 4-0 run. Wisconsin regained the lead with a 7-1 run to take a 21-18 lead. A successful challenge by the Longhorns at 27-27 changed the momentum in what was first called a kill by Devyn Robinsonand then changed to replaying the point as the Texas libero got under the ball for a no floor touch. Wisconsin tried to take the next two points but eventually lost the set, 28-30.

Set two was a set of runs. Texas started well, jumping out to an 8-4 lead, fueled by a 6-2 run. Wisconsin continued to chip away, until a 4-0 run by the Badgers forced a Longhorn timeout with UW leading 12-11. The two teams traded runs. Two kills by Trinity Shadd-Ceres and an ace of Charlie Fuerbringer gave the Badgers a 22-20 lead, after which Wisconsin came out swinging and won the second set 25-23, leveling the score at a set apiece.

Texas came out of the break swinging and took an early 6-2 lead. Three straight kills from Franklin brought the Badgers within one (6-5), but Texas rolled from there and the Badgers were unable to overcome the deficit. The Longhorns won set three 25-15 and took a 2-1 lead in the match.

Wisconsin struggled to get going in the fourth set. Texas hit .364 and won the final set and the match 25-11.

Sarah Franklin had a match-high 25 kills (10-25-69). As a team, UW hit .153 (51 kills – 26 errors – 163 attempts).

Jenna Wenaas led the Longhorns with 18 kills. Texas hit .265 (60 kills – 17 errors – 162 attempts) on the day.

Charlie Fuerbringer 43 assists and 11 digs for her first double-double of the season. Freshman Lola Schumacher led the team with 16 digs.

The Longhorns blocked the Badgers 10.5-9.0. Robinson led UW with four total blocks. Fuerbringer and Franklin scored the two service aces for the Badgers.

Straight from the court

Head coach Kelly Sheffield

About a balanced team effort: “I thought Sarah played really hard and carried us for a lot of that game. And I thought our DSs did a really good job. It was a little bit tougher game for them than the other night. And I thought, on this stage, all three of them, very early in their careers, I thought they’ve grown from a couple of days ago and there’s some positives that come from that.”

Middle blocker Devyn Robinson

What the team learned from this: “We just learned that we have to be mentally stronger and be ready to show up. Kelly talked to us in the locker room, that we lost that in our sears, in our head and mentally. We just have to get stronger and there are no words we can use to get us there, we just have to do it.”

Notes to know

• The last time the Badgers started a season 0-2 was in 1993.
• 69 attempts in four sets by Franklin sets a school record. Franklin previously held the record and recently broke it on August 27th against Louisville last week.
• With 43 assists and 11 digs, freshman Charlie Fuerbringer records her first double-double of her career.
• Texas now has an overall record of 6-0 over the Badgers.
• Freshmen Lola Schumacher achieves her first double dig total with 16.
• .153 (51-26-163) is the second straight game this season in which Wisconsin has been held under a .200 hitting percentage.
• Graduate Carley Anderson and freshman Maile Chan made their UW debut and started in the third set.

Next

The Badgers return to action Monday afternoon when they face Stanford in their second match of the State Farm Volleyball Showcase. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Fiserv Forum. The match will be televised on FOX.