Feeling Elite: Badgers battle in Regional Finals for eighth-straight season

Sunday, December 14

Austin, TX

6:30 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

#1 Texas

Buy Tickets

Badgers celebrate after rally versus Stanford.

Photo by: Maddox Durst

Feeling Elite: Badgers battle in Regional Finals for eighth-straight season

December 13, 2025 | Volleyball

UW looks to avenge early season loss to No. 1 Texas

By: Maddox Durst

Venue	Gregory Gymnasium
Radio	100.5 ESPN Madison
Match Notes	Wisconsin \| Texas
Live Stats	Wisconsin vs Texas
ESPN	Wisconsin vs Texas
Social Media	Facebook \| Instagram \| X
Tickets	2025 NCAA Volleyball Tickets

AUSTIN, Texas - For the eighth consecutive season, the No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team will compete in the Regional Final, this time against No. 1 Texas from the Lone Star State on Sunday, Dec. 14. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Gregory Gymnasium and the match will be televised on ESPN.

The Badgers (27-4) are fresh off of one of their most complete performances of the season—turning in a four-set victory over No. 2 Stanford (25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 25-22) in the Regional Semifinals on Friday afternoon to earn their first top-10 win of the year.

Offensively, UW put together their top showing in program history in a Regional Semifinal match, swinging .420 against the Cardinal. Outside hitter Mimi Colyer led the way with 27 kills, eclipsing the 2,000-kill mark in her career. The senior also broke the school record for most kills in a season —surpassing Badger great Sarah Franklin's 535 from last season. Colyer enters Sunday's match with 543 kills on the year.

Setter Charlie Fuerbringer distributed the wealth at a high rate once again, recording a career-best 61 assists on Friday. The Hermosa Beach, California, native averaged 15.25 assists per set against Stanford, as the Badgers improved their record to 10-0 since she made her return from injury.

From the front row, middle blockers Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew continued to excel, each finishing errorless versus the Cardinal. Booth impressed by tying a career-best 14 kills, as she last did so in the Regional Semifinal last season versus Texas A&M. The senior did so while hitting .700. Andrew was more of the same, going 7-of-9 for UW.

Outside hitter Una Vajagic rounded out the numerous standouts from Friday's battle, racking up her 10th double-double of the season behind a 13-kill, 11-dig performance—hitting .444 (13 - 1 - 27).

The Badgers will take on Texas for the second time this season, as the Longhorns (26-3) earned a sweep of UW at the Opening Spike Classic at the Kohl Center on Aug. 31. Right side Grace Egan led the way with 16 kills for Wisconsin, as the redshirt sophomore notched the final kill in both the third and the fourth set against Stanford on Friday. The Longhorns hold a 6-4 record all-time over the Badgers.

Sunday's match will also mark the first time Wisconsin and Texas have battled in the postseason since the 2023 season in Tampa, Florida, in the NCAA National Championship Semifinal match.

"We are certainly looking forward to the challenge," head coach Kelly Sheffield said. "I think our team has grown, and as the season has gone on, I think we're playing with confidence and you need that confidence to be able to go in and do what we're hoping to be able to do."

UW will look to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championship for the sixth time in program history and for the second time in the past three seasons.