Wisconsin have won the volleyball program’s first NCAA Division I Women’s Championship.
No. 4 Wisconsin (31-3, 17-3 Big Ten) defeated No. 10 Nebraska (26-8, 15-4 Big Ten) in a five-set thriller to win their first-ever NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. It was a rematch of 2000 final, which went in the Cornhuskers’ favor with a five-set victory. Both teams are Big Ten Conference members, with Wisconsin claiming the title there earlier in the season.
The Badgers had 24 blocks as a team, the highest ever in a national championship game. Dana Rettke, a graduate middle blocker, led the team with 13 blocks, her season-high, for a total of 24 points. As a result, she put a fitting cap on an amazing college career that included being voted AVCA National Player of the Year in 2021 and being recognized as a five-time first-team All-American by the AVCA (five-time member of the ideal team in the league). In the final, contested in Columbus, Ohio, Rettke was aided by Anna Smrek, a freshman middle blocker from Canada who was voted the AVCA Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament (the MVP of the league). Madi Kubik, a junior outside hitter, led Nebraska in scoring with 18 points. Lindsay Krause, a freshman outside hitter, had five blocks.
NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship – final:
Wisconsin – Nebraska 3-2 (22-25, 31-29, 25-23, 23-25, 15-12)
