(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON – The Wisconsin volleyball team kicked off its 2026 season with an exhibition against the Alumni at the UW Field House, as the alumnae picked up the 3-1 victory.
Freshman Audrey Flanagan led the Badgers on the attack, tallying 17 kills with a .316 hitting percentage and added two block assists on the night. Senior Eva Travis followed closely behind with 10 kills, and Grace Egan and Natalie Wardlow collected nine and eight kills, respectively.
Junior Charlie Fuerbringer proved to be a catalyst for the Badgers on the offensive end, setting the table with 35 assists. The Hermosa Beach, California, native tallied eight digs of her own in the process.
The Badger alumnae continued their stellar run at the Field House, stuffing the stat sheet to help lift the team to the win. The offense shared the wealth with Mimi Colyer, Sarah Franklin and Temi Thomas-Ailara collecting 12, 11 and nine kills, respectively. Class of 2019 libero and All-American Tiffany Clark led the alumnae defense with 20 digs.
The alumnae picked up the win in the first two sets, earning the 25-21 and 25-23 wins before the current squad claimed the third set, 25-21, after fighting back from a deficit.
Despite the Badgers breaking away for the early lead in the fourth set thanks to a 4-0 charge off of kills from Egan and Jane Manecke, the alumnae closed out the match with a 25-22 fourth-set victory to secure the 3-1 win.
Up Next: The Badgers will return to the Field House to take on Butler in an exhibition match on Friday, August 14. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.
