GREEN BAY – The Wisconsin’s volleyball team went on the road and set a record.
The Badgers’ spring match against UW-Green Bay on April 18 had 3,625 fans – the most for a volleyball match at the Phoenix’s 4,000-plus-seat Kress Events Center.
“We love our fan base,” Wisconsin libero Kristen Simon said. “They always show up to every game. They always bring so much energy, and it means a lot to us that they love watching us play that much and it’s worth it for them to travel and to come watch us play.”
The record crowd saw a one-sided battle as the Badgers coasted past UW-Green Bay, 25-13, 25-9, 25-12, 25-14, 15-11. They planned to play five sets – regardless of the results in the first three sets – although the final stats only counted the three deciding sets.
The one-sided nature of the match was not particularly surprising given the gap in competitiveness between one of the best teams in the Big Ten and a Horizon League team that finished in the middle of the pack in 2025.
“I wish we could replicate the speed that Wisconsin and height that Wisconsin plays at,” Green Bay coach Abbey Sutherland said. “Because it just takes a little bit to get used to that. … When they got on runs of points, I think it was because they were so physical.”
UW-Green Bay’s players, Sutherland said, “learned so much from it.”
But it offered an extended glimpse at a Wisconsin team that has several new faces, nonetheless. Here are a few key takeaways:
Florida transfer Jaela Auguste shows how she can dominate in middle
Jaela Auguste showed why she was a 2025 third-team All-American in her second spring match as a Badger.
The 6-foot-2 middle blocker finished the first three sets with a team-high 10 kills while hitting .714 and avoiding any attack errors. She also was involved in six of the Badgers’ seven blocks against the Phoenix. She was especially dangerous in the first set, when she had five kills and four blocks.
“She came here talented, and I think she’s working harder than she’s ever worked in her life and learning how we do things,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “She’s as dynamic of an athlete as there is in college volleyball. And when you have that and you’re fortunate to have that on your roster, you better be using her.”
Auguste has appeared to acclimate quickly with setter Charlie Fuerbringer and the rest of the Badgers after transferring from Florida in December.
“She’s the easiest hitter I’ve ever had to set in my whole life,” Fuerbringer said. “Jaela has been awesome, and I’m just super excited to see what comes next.”
Sheffield also saw Auguste’s success as a sign of how well Wisconsin controlled the ball against Green Bay.
“That’s the thing with middles – it takes everybody to be able to get those guys involved,” Sheffield said. “So when you see a team doing a lot of attacking with the middles, they’re getting a lot of kills, usually that’s a system that is operating pretty well.”
Lynney Tarnow, Halle Thompson among other impressive newcomers
Auguste was far from the only Badgers newcomer to impress in Green Bay.
UC-Santa Barbara transfer Eva Travis had eight kills while hitting .471 as she started the first two sets. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter also had two blocks.
Wisconsin’s freshmen also shined literally from the very first point. Lynney Tarnow, the seventh-ranked recruit in Prep Dig’s 2026 rankings, recorded UW’s first kill from the right side.
Tarnow finished with five kills, three digs, one block and a .500 hitting percentage while the middle blocker by trade impressed Sheffield with her versatility.
“Last match, she played mostly out of the middle,” Sheffield said. “Today, played mostly out of the right. Her ability to get on the quick and still be able to get out to the pin with her length can be really, really tough.”
Fellow freshmen Halle Thompson and Audrey Flanagan each had five kills while hitting .571. Thompson had seven digs, and Flanagan had four.
“She’s a competitor,” Sheffield said of Thompson. “She competes. When the lights are brightest and the more people are there, that’s usually going to pull even more out of her. She’s got no fear. Sometimes she can be a bull through a china shop.”
Overall, UW’s newcomers – whether they be transfers or incoming freshmen – combined to record 34 of the Badgers’ 40 kills and only two attack errors in the first three sets.
Kelly Sheffield gives injury updates on Grace Egan, Grace Lopez
The Badgers were without Grace Egan and Grace Lopez amid their injury recoveries. Egan was with the team on the sideline while Lopez was not on the trip.
Lopez, a talented right-side hitter who transferred from Miami (Florida), missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury. She had commitment that kept her from being at the match, Sheffield said.
“But I think we’re on pace to have her in the fall,” Sheffield said. “We’re certainly looking forward, as I know the fans and everybody are looking forward to seeing her play.”
Egan also missed the March 23 match at Marquette and is expected to miss the April 24 spring match against Northern Illinois. Sheffield did not express any concern as the Badgers are “taking a long-term approach” with her health.
“There’s not going to be an issue getting her back in the fall either,” Sheffield said. “So I think she’s right on schedule.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin volleyball newcomers shine in win over UW-Green Bay: 3 takeaways
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
