The No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball team suffered its first home loss of the season on Friday night, dropping a hard-fought five-set match (25-20, 25-27, 25-21, 18-25, 16-18) to the No. 21 Washington Huskies at the UW Field House.
The defeat snaps a seven-match home win streak for the Badgers, dropping their record at the Field House to 7-1 and their overall standing to 13-6, with a 6-3 conference mark. Meanwhile, Washington improved to 15-3 overall and 6-3 in conference play, moving to 3-7 all-time against Wisconsin and 3-1 when playing in Madison.
Despite the setback, Wisconsin featured a potent offensive attack with five players recording double-digit kills for just the second time this season, a feat last accomplished against Marquette on September 17. Freshman Decelise Champion paced the Badgers with a career-matching 20 kills on 54 swings, securing her second career double-double and third of the season by adding 11 digs. Fellow freshman Audrey Flanagan also notched a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs. Junior Jaela Auguste contributed 12 kills, while Eva Travis and Lynney Tarnow each chipped in 10.
Junior setter Charlie Fuerbringer reached a major career milestone during the match, surpassing the 3,000 career assist mark. Fuerbringer matched her season best for the second consecutive match with 55 assists, adding 17 digs for her eighth double-double of the season and the 25th of her career.
The match opened with Wisconsin taking control of the first set 25-20, aided by early kills from Travis and two service aces from middle blocker Natalie Wardlow during a pivotal 15-10 run. Washington answered in a tightly contested second frame, utilizing strong serving and defense to erase an early deficit and push the set into extra points before taking it 27-25 on a decisive 6-1 run.
Wisconsin reclaimed the momentum in the third set, pulling away late with an 8-3 run capped by Auguste. An ace and a one-arm dig kill from Fuerbringer propelled the Badgers to a 25-21 victory and a 2-1 set advantage. However, the Huskies responded forcefully in the fourth set, posting a .500 hitting percentage compared to Wisconsin’s .275 to secure a 25-18 win and force a deciding fifth frame.
In the final set, Wisconsin freshmen combined for nine kills to fuel a late push, but Washington sealed the match with a powerful service performance that ended on an ace.
Libero Anna Bardaro anchored the back row for the Badgers, collecting 19 digs to record her 14th match of the season with double-figure digs.
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield acknowledged the effort of his squad following the match, noting that Champion played with significant courage offensively and praising the team’s overall grit. Sophomore Kristen Simon emphasized the need for mental toughness across all five sets moving forward, while Champion noted that the team would treat the outcome as a learning experience to build upon.
The Badgers look to rebound quickly as they continue their weekend homestand, hosting the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday, Oct. 25, with first serve scheduled for noon on FS1.
