MADISON, Wis –  The No. 1-seeded Badgers (16-0) continue their quest for a NCAA Championship, advancing to their second-straight NCAA national semifinal. Wisconsin takes on No. 4-seed  Texas (26-1) on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. live on ESPN in the CHI Health Center Arena.

Wisconsin is competing in its 24th overall and eighth-straight NCAA tournament under head coach Kelly Sheffield. The Badgers are 54-23 all time in the tournament, competing in back-to-back final four appearances for the firs time in program history. UW is 3-0 in regional finals, including a 3-1 victory over top-seeded Baylor in 2019. 

1. ONE TOUGH MATCH: The top-seeded Badgers advanced to the national semifinals with a 3-2 win over eighth-seeded Florida on Monday night. It was UW's first five-set match since November of 2019. The Gators outperformed Wisconsin in all statistical categories as UW hit a season-low .153 and was outblocked 12-9.

2. AMERICA'S BEST: Seniors Dana Rettke and Sydney Hilley earned first-team All-America honor with Rettke becoming the first four-time, first-team All-American in program history. Hilley earns her second-straight first-team honor. Senior Lauren Barnes was named a second-team All-American and freshman Devyn Robinson was named a third-team All-American, the first awards for both players. Seniors Molly Haggerty and Grace Loberg earned honorable mention All-America distinction.

3. GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY: Redshirt senior Molly Haggerty has been an offensive powerhouse in NCAA play, leading the Badgers with 3.55 kills per set while hitting .330. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter has led UW in kills the last two matches, tallying 14 against BYU and a season-high 17 against Florida. Haggerty moved up two places to 14th on the UW career record list with 1,173 kills.

4. DIGGING HER HEELS IN: Senior Lauren Barnes has recorded 10-or-more digs in seven straight matches, averaging 5.72 digs per set over the stretch. The 5-foot-6 libero is averaging 5.73 digs per set in NCAA tournament play, tying her career-high with 28 digs vs. Florida on Monday.

5. THE GREAT WALL OF WISCONSIN:  Three Badgers are averaging 1.09-or-more blocks per set in NCAA tournament play. Freshman Devyn Robinson and redshirt junior Danielle Hart led the team with 1.45 blocks per set. Robinson tallied a season-high six blocks vs. Florida. Senior Dana Rettke adds 1.09 blocks per set.

6. SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS:  No. 4 Texas (26-1) will be one of Wisconsin's toughest challengers yet this season. The Longhorns are coming into Thursday's match after beating No. 5 Nebraska, 3-1, in the regional semifinal round of the tournament. As a team, Texas is hitting .336, putting away 14.5 kills per set. Defensively, Texas is averaging 2.9 blocks per set and 13.1 digs per set.  

Junior Logan Eggleston, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, was named the Big-12 Player of the Year, averaging 4.57 kills per set while hitting .323. Eggleston is also a threat behind the service line, leading the team with 48 total service aces (0.51/set) this season. The Longhorns also have the Big-12 Setter of the Year in Jhenna Gabriel, a 5-foot-8 junior, who is averaging 11.17 assists and 2.19 digs per set. Brionne Butler, a 6-foot-4 junior middle blocker, leads the team in blocks with 142, averaging 1.54 per set. Morgan O'Brien, a 5-foot-8 libero, leads the team with 3.12 digs per set as a graduate transfer from Illinois.