Tourney Time: Badgers earn three seed in NCAA Tournament
November 30, 2025 | Volleyball
UW set to host first two rounds beginning on Thursday
MADISON, Wis. - For the 13th-straight season and 29th time in program history, the Wisconsin women's volleyball team earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers were selected as the No. 3 seed in the Texas Regional, and will host the First and Second round matches on Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5.Â
No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) is slated to face Eastern Illinois (24-7), the Ohio Valley Conference champions, in the First Round. North Carolina (21-8) and No. 6 UTEP (25-4) will battle in the first matchup at the UW Field House, set to start at 4:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Badgers and the Panthers will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match. On Friday, the winners of those matches will face-off at 7:00 p.m. CT. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
"When you're watching our team, you can see that we are getting better, but you can also see that there is some room there for improvement," Sheffield said. "And that's what gets to be really exciting…feels like we're still climbing, and the excitement and enthusiasm has never been higher."Â
Wisconsin enters the NCAA Tournament with a 66-26 (.717) overall record in postseason play—notching a trip to the NCAA Regional Semifinals or beyond in every year of head coach Kelly Sheffield's tenure.Â
In seven consecutive seasons, with the exception of the COVID year, the Badgers have hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. During that time period, UW has put together a flawless 13-0 record.Â
The Badgers finished the regular season with a 24-4 record, earning victories in nine consecutive matches to close out the conference schedule. UW enters with eight wins over ranked opponents, most recently sweeping No. 18 Minnesota this past Friday to secure second place overall in the Big Ten.Â
Eight other Big Ten teams earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, as Nebraska leads the way as the number one overall seed. In the Texas Regional, the Badgers are joined by Indiana as the four seed and Penn State as the eight seed.Â
"I think it's just been a really fun team to coach, and I know Badger fans have absolutely loved watching these guys play," Sheffield added. "And with this team, they've got one opportunity, maybe two opportunities, to see this group and to see some players amongst the all-time best in program history. That's pretty cool."
SCHEDULE
Thursday, Dec. 4
North Carolina vs No. 6 UTEP - 4:30 p.m. CT
Eastern Illinois vs No. 3 Wisconsin - 30 minutes following the conclusion of UNC vs UTEP
Friday, Dec. 5
First Round Winners - 7:00 p.m. CT
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-session tickets for the NCAA First and Second Round matches go on-sale on Thursday, December 4 at 9 a.m. online at UWBadgers.com.
Single-Session Ticket Prices:
No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) is slated to face Eastern Illinois (24-7), the Ohio Valley Conference champions, in the First Round. North Carolina (21-8) and No. 6 UTEP (25-4) will battle in the first matchup at the UW Field House, set to start at 4:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Badgers and the Panthers will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match. On Friday, the winners of those matches will face-off at 7:00 p.m. CT. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
"When you're watching our team, you can see that we are getting better, but you can also see that there is some room there for improvement," Sheffield said. "And that's what gets to be really exciting…feels like we're still climbing, and the excitement and enthusiasm has never been higher."Â
Wisconsin enters the NCAA Tournament with a 66-26 (.717) overall record in postseason play—notching a trip to the NCAA Regional Semifinals or beyond in every year of head coach Kelly Sheffield's tenure.Â
In seven consecutive seasons, with the exception of the COVID year, the Badgers have hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. During that time period, UW has put together a flawless 13-0 record.Â
The Badgers finished the regular season with a 24-4 record, earning victories in nine consecutive matches to close out the conference schedule. UW enters with eight wins over ranked opponents, most recently sweeping No. 18 Minnesota this past Friday to secure second place overall in the Big Ten.Â
Eight other Big Ten teams earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, as Nebraska leads the way as the number one overall seed. In the Texas Regional, the Badgers are joined by Indiana as the four seed and Penn State as the eight seed.Â
"I think it's just been a really fun team to coach, and I know Badger fans have absolutely loved watching these guys play," Sheffield added. "And with this team, they've got one opportunity, maybe two opportunities, to see this group and to see some players amongst the all-time best in program history. That's pretty cool."
SCHEDULE
Thursday, Dec. 4
North Carolina vs No. 6 UTEP - 4:30 p.m. CT
Eastern Illinois vs No. 3 Wisconsin - 30 minutes following the conclusion of UNC vs UTEP
Friday, Dec. 5
First Round Winners - 7:00 p.m. CT
TICKET INFORMATION
- All-session ticket packages for the NCAA First and Second Round matches go on-sale on Monday, December 1 at 9 a.m. online at UWBadgers.com. All-session ticket packages include one ticket valid for both NCAA First Round matches on Thursday, December 4 and one ticket valid for the NCAA Second Round match on Friday, December 5. There is no re-entry between matches on Thursday, December 4.
- Reserved Seating (All ages): Starting at $46
- General Admission (All ages): $39.50
- College Students: $28.50
Single-session tickets for the NCAA First and Second Round matches go on-sale on Thursday, December 4 at 9 a.m. online at UWBadgers.com.
Single-Session Ticket Prices:
- Reserved Seating (All ages): Starting at $28.50
- General Admission (All ages): $23.50
- College Students: $14.25
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