Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield has been hearing voices. It’s a good thing since his team is in a construction zone and he’s building another national championship contender.
In each of the past two seasons, the strongest voices belonged to his co-captains, the setting duo of MJ Hammil and Izzy Ashburn, the school’s career leader for service aces.
Both have graduated and moved on. As part of any locker room turnover from year to year, Sheffield is fond of saying, “Let’s figure out where we’re going and how we’re getting there.’’
It’s no different with his 2024 team that will make its debut Friday night with a spring exhibition match against the University of Illinois-Chicago at the sold-out UW Field House.
“We’ve had some good leaders that just left the program,’’ said Sheffield. “We’ve got some different voices in the room that are being utilized different than what we’ve had in the past.’’
After fielding teams that have competed in four of the last five Final Fours— winning four Big Ten titles and the 2021 national championship— Sheffield addressed the voices being cultivated.
“You’re looking at other people to kind of set you on your path,’’ he said, noting the importance that the “voices are coming when things are well and when things are a struggle.
“You’ve had other people (with) the first voices out of the gate, if you will. Every team has a turnover in leadership. There’s a growing process. That’s what part of the off-season is about.
“For us, the spring season is learning how to work together and it’s not just on the court. It’s also communication, style and all those things.
“We have some strong personalities on this team.
“I would say it’s a work in progress in a positive way.’’
UW's core players
Sheffield has a proven core group including the 2023 National Player of the Year in Sarah Franklin, Anna Smrek, Devyn Robinson, Julia Orzol, Carter Booth, CC Crawford and Guice Guctekin.
Rounding out the spring roster are Saige Damrow, who played in three matches last season before getting injured— she’s currently rehabbing from surgery— and transfer setter Carly Anderson.
During her four-year career at the University of Montana, Anderson had 101 starts and was a two-time second team All-Big Sky pick. She had 3,637 assists, the sixth most in program history.
“She’s here for a purpose … the kid is a gym rat,’’ Sheffield praised of the Mississauga, Ontario native. “She soaks up information. She’s constantly looking for things to get better at.
“She comes in with a lot of self-confidence, self-belief and a lot of maturity. She has fit right in. She doesn’t blink. She doesn’t flinch.’’
Anderson’s presence, along with the veteran returnees, has Sheffield saying, “We’ve got as much experience as anybody in the country. As much as I’ve ever had coming back.’’
Franklin, Robinson, Crawford and Anderson are fifth-year players. Smrek and Orzol are entering their fourth year. “That’s a lot of people who have been around a long time,’’ Sheffield said.
On dealing with a shorthanded roster that has prevented six-on-six play in practice, Sheffield said, “We’ll have a large class getting here sprinkled out in different parts this summer.’’
The future is coming
The freshman class is six deep: three tendered, three walk-ons.
Headlining the group is Charlie Fuerbringer from Hermosa Beach, California. She’s ranked as the No. 1 setter in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com. Her DNA is very impressive.
Her dad, Matt, competed on the AVP Professional tour and is an assistant men’s coach on the National team. Her mom, Joy, played on a national championship team at Long Beach State.
“People have known about Charlie for a long time,’’ Sheffield said. “She has played a lot on the bench, indoors, for USA teams. She’d be the name most people would be looking forward to.’’
The other scholarship prospects are Trinity Shadd-Ceres, an outside hitter from Kitchener, Ontario; and Antonina Serafinowska, a middle blocker from Kiekrz, Poland.
Shadd-Ceres is a candidate for the 2024 Canadian Olympic team in the long jump.
“We have a couple of international kids who are really talented,’’ Sheffield said. “When they adjust to life in the states, in Madison, in college, they have the athleticism to really help us’’
The Badgers are also bringing in three Liberos/defensive specialists: Mallie Chan from Portland, Oregon; Lola Schumacher rom Carmel, Indiana; and Morgan Van Wie from Waunakee.
Van Wie is the first Madison-area player that Sheffield has recruited to Wisconsin.
Once they arrive on campus, all the newcomers will get to learn from the returning vets. In March, Franklin, Robinson and Booth trained with the U.S. National Team in Anaheim, California.
“Competitors love to be around other competitors,’’ Sheffield said. “When you’re able to do that from different schools and experiences, for the most part, they come back very energized.’’
'Trying to win championships'
During his Monday press conference, Sheffield mentioned how “this group is really hungry.’’ That’s normally heard from coaches who have lost 30 games, not won 30 like the Badgers in ’23.
“When you come here, you’re clearly trying to compete and win championships,’’ he emphasized. “It’s something that drives elite players.
“We’ve had people who have won a national championship, and, man, once you’ve tasted that, you want to taste it again.
“We’ve had other players on our team that have been agonizingly close, painfully close to being able to get to the top of the mountain.
“As competitors, you almost become obsessed with it. And hopefully that’s a healthy obsession and it drives you every day and it motivates you.’’
After opening the 2023 season on an 18-game winning streak and winning a school-record 27 straight sets in Big Ten play, the Badgers still fell short of winning a Big Ten and NCAA title.
They were the conference runner-up to Nebraska and they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Texas in the national semifinals of the Final Four in Tampa, Florida.
The Longhorns broke a 20-20 tie to win the opening set but the Badgers rebounded to even the match with a 25-20 victory in the second set on a block from Franklin and Crawford.
Then it all fell apart. Wisconsin got overwhelmed in the next two sets, 25-13, 25-16, by a fired-up Texas team that went on to crush Nebraska, 3-0, in the championship finals.
Rematch with Texas scheduled
The Badgers won’t have to wait long for their rematch with the Longhorns. Tickets went on sale this week for the Women’s College Volleyball Showcase at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum.
Wisconsin, Texas, Minnesota and Stanford will make up the star-studded field in the two day event over Labor Day weekend. The Badgers and Horns will meet on Sunday, Sept. 1.
How many times has Sheffield watched the video of that semifinal loss to Texas?
“I don’t know,’’ he said with a number in mind. “I don’t know if it’s too many or not enough.’’
Sheffield started laughing.
“I have a handle on what happened,’’ he said. “It was a hard-fought match for the first hour (the first two sets) and the second hour we got our clocks cleaned.’’
Friday’s match will be the first since then and a welcome reprieve from off-season training. The Badgers will also play an April 26 exhibition against Northern Iowa in Dubuque, Iowa.
“I don’t know if the spring matches are to gauge where we are at so much,’’ Sheffield said. “It just mentally feels good to go out there and compete against somebody …
“When you get fans in there (Field House), and you get a scoreboard and another team over there, it just feels good. You can let loose a little. It’s almost more mental than anything else.
“This time of the year, you could care less who’s on the other side of the net if you’re a player, I would guess. Who we are playing probably doesn’t mean one iota.
“It’s just the fact they’ll open up the doors, they’ll sell some concessions, they’ll play a little bit of music, the video board will be up there and there will be a little extra juice in the Field House.’’
Sheffield conceded, “Since we haven’t done any six-on-six, there might be an element where it might be a little sloppy at times. But we’re totally fine with that.
“Let’s just go out there and let it rip. Let’s have some fun. Let’s see where we’re at.’’
Does the expected adrenaline rush extend to the 53-year-old Sheffield?
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,’’ he gushed. “I’m still a dork that gets energized just walking inside the Field House when the place is empty.
“Whether I’m walking in there the first time in the morning (for practice) or late at night and the place is dark, I still love being in that building.
“When you play a game, whether it’s for a regional final or a scrimmage …
“Yeah, if that ever stops getting my heart going, then it’s time to get out.
“The scrimmages still fire me up.’’
Still the most passionate voice in the locker room.
