(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON – The No. 5 Wisconsin volleyball team defeated No. 17 Florida (25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 24-26, 15-13) in a five-set battle to pick up its first home win of the 2026 season in front of a sold-out crowd Wednesday night.
Outside hitter Audrey Flanagan led the Badgers (2-3) with a career-high 18 kills, chipping in nine digs and three blocks in the process. Right side Grace Egan added a season-high 17 kills of her own, as middle blocker Lynney Tarnow added 16 kills of her own off a .429 hitting percentage while adding five blocks.
Setter Charlie Fuerbringer dished out a season-high 55 assists and 15 digs, good for a double-double. Libero Anna Bardaro paced the backcourt, contributing a team-high 19 digs.
The match opened in a back-and-forth battle before a 4-0 scoring run in the middle of the set, capped off by a pair of kills from Flanagan.
Wisconsin continued to build momentum late into the set behind kills from freshman Kymora Scott and Eva Travis before Tarnow sealed the 25-21 set victory with a kill of her own. The middle blocker posted four kills in the first set, leading the team to an overall hitting percentage of .312.
The second set opened similarly, with Fuerbringer providing an ace before the Gators provided an answer of their own. The opponent’s offense came out strong in the frame, holding Wisconsin to a .189 hitting percentage (12 – 5 – 37), to take the second set 25-20.
Egan provided a spark early in the third set with a pair of kills to add to a 3-0 run. The senior later went on a 4-1 scoring run alone to help build the lead. A strong hitting performance helped Wisconsin to 15 kills in the set, with a pair from Flanagan capping the set off with a victory, 25-19, and go up two sets to one.
Florida opened the fourth set with a 5-0 run, but the Badgers brought the set close with a late 5-0 run of their own. The two teams traded points late, before a bad set gave the Gators the set win.
The Badgers set the tone in the fifth with a 6-1 burst thanks to back-to-back kills from Scott. Florida mounted another late 3-0 push to tie the set at 13 apiece, but a Flanagan kill helped seal the victory over the Gators with a 15-13 final in set five.
With the five-set victory, Wisconsin completed its first home win of the season, picking up its first win against the Gators at the Field House in program history.
Straight from the Court:
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on the victory):
“I thought we battled, we fought, we scratched and we challenged a lot of you players at different times in the match.”
Freshman Lynney Tarnow (on a home victory)
“I’ve been waiting to play in the Field House for so long now, so I think just the energy and feeling the crowd having our backs and the support through a five-setter was such a cool feeling.”
Freshman Kymora Scott (on starting tonight)
“I just felt ready and excited to be out there. When things started picking up for me I was definitely excited. I was excited coming in to support my teammates, but it’s always fun having your moment.”
Notes:
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The five-set thriller of a victory over the No. 17 Florida Gators marks the first match Wisconsin has won over the Gators in the UW Field House. The Badgers were previously 0-3. Last year’s victory against the Gators was at the Kohl Center.
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Setter Charlie Fuerbringer recorded her 19th double-double of her career, and second of the season with a 55 assist, 15 dig performance against the Gators.
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Freshman Kymora Scott got her first collegiate start at middle blocker. Scott totaled seven kills on 16 swings for a .312 (7-2-16) hitting percentage.
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Wisconsin had three players with double-figure kills; Audrey Flanagan (18), Lynney Tarnow (16), and Grace Egan (17). The 18 and 17 kills for Flanagan and Egan were also season-highs.
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Freshman Lynney Tarnow collected a career-best 16 kills against Florida. She also had a personal-best five blocks.
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Libero Anna Bardaro has now tallied double-figure digs in the last four matches. She totaled 19, matching a career-best last dig against Stanford on Aug. 30.
Up Next: Wisconsin returns to the Field House against Auburn on Thursday, Sept. 3, to wrap up Big Ten/SEC Challenge week competition. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. with the match airing on FS1.
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