For the third year in a row, the Badger women’s volleyball team has advanced to the NCAA final four.

Going into the tournament, the team was seeded No. 4 under head coach Kelly Sheffield. The win against Big Ten rival — Minnesota — puts them in the semifinals for the fifth time in program history.

A quick rundown of the team’s history

🏐 The team’s first season was 1974-75 + they’ve had 11 head coaches since.
🏐 Big Ten Conference Champs: 2019, 2020, 2021 — and 8 total since their first season.
🏐 They’ve had 25 NCAA tournament appearances — 5 of which have taken them to the final four.
🏐 Their home court — the Field House — has a capacity of 7,052, making it the fifth-largest venue in college volleyball as of 2020.

2021 season stats

🏐 Big Ten Conference: 17-3
🏐 Overall: 29-3
🏐 Last year, the team finished 18-1 + lost in the semifinals
🏐 On the road to the final four, the Badgers beat out Colgate, Florida Gulf Coast, No. 13 UCLA, and No. 12 Minnesota.

NCAA Volleyball Championship bracket | Graphic from NCAA

What’s next

The Badgers (29-3) will face off against No. 1 seed Louisville (32-0) in Columbus, OH on Thurs., Dec. 16.

If — when — the team wins, they face either No. 10 Nebraska or No. 3 Pittsburgh for the national championship. The match will be in Columbus, OH on Sat., Dec. 18. Tickets for both matches can be found here.