The No. 2 seeded University of Wisconsin-Madison volleyball beat No. 6 Texas A&M 3-2 in the NCAA Sweet 16 Friday night in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Badgers hosted the Aggies at the UW Fieldhouse earlier this season and won 3-0, so it seemed like this game would be a sure win for Wisconsin. But Texas A&M came to play and tested Wisconsin down to the final point.
The first set began with a back-and-forth rally which Texas A&M won with a kill by junior right-side hitter Logan Lednicky. Texas A&M then built a 5-2 lead, but Wisconsin clawed their way back into the game. Senior middle blocker Anna Smrek earned three kills in the last five points, helping the Badgers secure a 25-21 win.
The Aggies started the second set with another lead of 7-2, and this time it stuck. The Badgers made numerous service errors, and the Aggie block began to heat up during this set. A service error from fifth-year outside hitter Sarah Franklin gave Texas A&M the win, 25-18.
Set three was a close one. Both teams traded points and showed off their excellent defensive skills. Wisconsin shocked themselves with a scrappy defensive play midway through the set when junior middle blocker Carter Booth made a one-handed save that found the floor on Texas A&M’s side of the net. Though the set was tied 19-19, Wisconsin scored six unanswered points to take set three 25-19.
The fourth set was a must-win situation for Texas A&M. They began with a 10-6 lead, and though Wisconsin came back to make the set a tight battle, Texas A&M rose to the moment to force set five. The Aggies won the set 25-23.
Set five had everyone on the edge of their seats. The Badgers and Aggies were tied 4-4 and then 6-6 before the Badgers pulled away with a five-point run led by Franklin at the service line. Later in the set, the Aggies came back with a four-point run, but the Badgers remained unphased. Booth had a massive kill to set up match point, and Franklin sealed the deal with a kill of her own, giving the Badgers a hard-fought 15-13 win.
Franklin had an incredible match against Texas A&M, leading the Badgers in kills, with 21, and aces, with two. Carter and Smrek were also top performers. Carter earned 14 kills and nine blocks, and Smrek earned 10 kills and nine blocks.
Freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer had 56 assists and 12 digs for her 11th double-double of the season. Defensively, freshman libero Lola Schumacher dominated with 24 digs, and junior defensive specialist Gulce Guctekin contributed 13.
Despite Wisconsin’s strong performance, they were out-blocked for just the third time this season. This win sent the Badgers to the Regional Final, also known as the Elite Eight, for the seventh straight year.
