The Wisconsin Badgers are back in the Elite Eight, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. On Sunday, they’ll square off against the top-seeded Texas Longhorns with a trip to Kansas City and a Final Four berth on the line.
Wisconsin, the No. 3 seed in the Texas regional, punched its ticket to this showdown with a gritty 3-1 win over No. 2 Stanford on Friday.
It was a statement performance from a team that’s peaking at the right time. Mimi Colyer was electric, dropping 27 kills in a match where she simply refused to be denied.
Setter Charlie Fuerbringer orchestrated the offense with poise well beyond her years, dishing out 61 assists and keeping the Cardinal defense off-balance all night. The Badgers hit a blistering .420 as a team-an elite number in postseason play and a testament to their offensive rhythm and efficiency.
This run didn’t come out of nowhere. Wisconsin opened its postseason with back-to-back sweeps over Eastern Illinois and North Carolina at the Field House, setting up this gauntlet through the region’s top seeds. Now, the Badgers find themselves one win away from a return to the national semifinals-but standing in their way is a Texas team that’s already had their number this season.
The Longhorns swept Wisconsin earlier in the year in straight sets-29-27, 25-20, 25-14-in a match where the Badgers were plagued by 26 attack errors. That kind of sloppiness simply can’t happen again if they hope to flip the script this time around. Texas is too disciplined, too talented, and too experienced to let unforced mistakes slide.
Texas has built a 26-3 record this season, with their only losses coming twice to No. 2 Kentucky and once to No.
9 Texas A&M. They’ve rolled through the tournament so far, knocking off Florida A&M, Penn State, and Indiana to reach the regional final.
This is a battle-tested group that knows how to win when it matters most.
For Wisconsin, the key will be cleaning up the attack, maintaining the offensive balance that powered them past Stanford, and staying composed in the big moments. This is a team that’s shown they can hang with anyone when they’re clicking. Sunday is their chance to prove it on the biggest stage yet.
How to Watch:
- Channel: ESPN
One match. Two powerhouses.
A trip to Kansas City on the line. Buckle up.