AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 3-seed Wisconsin volleyball team advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals for the sixth time in program history, storming into the University of Texas’s Gregory Gymnasium to take down No. 1-seed and host Texas (25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19) in four sets Sunday.
Texas A&M upset previously unbeaten Nebraska in one regional final, so Texas A&M plays Pittsburgh 5:30 p.m. Thursday, while Wisconsin will play Kentucky at 8 p.m. in Kansas City. Kentucky won its one national championship in 2020 while the Badgers won their one national championship in 2021.
After winning the third set Sunday, Texas maintained its momentum in the fourth frame, but the Badgers responded by winning six of seven rallies to take a 7-6 lead—concluding that stretch with an ace from Mim Colyer. Outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres made her presence felt moments later, recording a pair of kills to extend the advantage to 13-8.
Wisconsin managed to outlast Texas in lengthy rallies down the stretch, continuing to keep the Longhorns off balance on the offensive end. Una Vajagic and Colyer ended it with kills, securing the victory for the Badgers and etching their spot in the National Semifinals in Kansas Citynext week.
Colyer paced UW with 23 kills, finishing with a .309 hitting percentage. In similar fashion, Vajagic followed suit swinging at .458, marking double-digit kill totals for the sixth consecutive match.
