Badger's Journey Ends in Elite Eight

Badgers v Ohio State regular season photo.  dwm

After the elite eight match, I added a postscript at the end of this post.

It was an exciting, nail-biting win for the Badgers as they came from behind to win their Sweet Sixteen match to advance to the Elite Eight Regional Final.

Ranked #3 in the country, Wisconsin had all they could handle from conference foe Ohio State.

The Badgers had swept the Buckeyes twice during the season, but with Ohio State dreaming of playing in the Final Four at home in Columbus they were fired up and left everything on the court.

Badgers v Buckeyes. dwm

Bucky won the first set by 10.  Ohio State won the second.

Buckeyes took it 31 - 29 in a back and forth game in the third set, making it do or die for the home team with championship dreams.

The Badgers have been rising in collegiate volleyball the past four years, reaching a #1 ranking during this season.

Their top player, senior Lauren Carlini, is the team leader and aspiring Olympian.

Bucky.
dwm photo

She willed, pulled, and prodded her team as they came from behind in the fourth set to even the match and force a deciding fifth game.

Adding to the drama was a 1 o'clock start time on a Friday, causing concern about what kind of crowd might be able to attend.

Coach Sheffield offered to pay for the first 1,000 students in the doors and the rest of Badger Nation followed to pack the venerable Field House.

This afternoon, the Badgers host the regional final for the first time.

A win sends them back to the Final Four after last qualifying in 2013 during Sheffield and Carlini's debut season.

Three wins to a title.  Let's go, Badgers!

Wisconsin jumped on Stanford early with a 2 set to none lead.  The Cardinal fought back in the third set.  No worries.  Then the west coast foe took the fourth.  Still felt good, the sell-out crowd was bright red.  Not tonight for Bucky.

A great season comes up short of the Final Four and a much deserved tip of the Wisconsin cap to Lauren Carlini and her fellow seniors who gave so much to the cardinal and white of Wisconsin. 

There are more Wisconsin volleyball fans than there were before they arrived.  Coach Sheffield has built a program which will continue to compete at the top of the sport for years to come.  There will be another Final Four and a Championship returning home with Buckingham Badger.