The Wisconsin Badgers have now taken part in two very different exhibitions, both on the court and off the court. The first was against the alumni and ended up being a humbling experience for the current Badgers, with only one win out of four sets. Then the Badgers took on a real and current college team, Butler. And the score was vastly different; it was a 4-0 sweep, with only one set that was a struggle to win.
The next step is the real season. Next Friday, August 21, the Badgers will take on No. 3 Kentucky at the AVCA First Serve at the Fiserv Forum. With that game looming, there are still four unanswered questions.
1. Who is the starting libero?
It seemed like there was no chance that Kristen Simon would not be the starter in 2026; she's good, really good. And then Wisconsin, without any other liberos left on the roster after transfers, went and grabbed an international player, Anna Bardaro. Who, not known very well on the American stage, is elite and is a veteran player. She didn't come to sit on the bench, but Simon also isn't going to easily let go of her starting spot.
In the exhibition match against the alumni, Bardaro was the starting libero. There were also some moments when Simon and Bardaro were on the court at the same time (defensive specialist and libero). Then, in the exhibition against Butler, Simon was the starter.
Who does Sheffield roll out as the starter against No. 3 Kentucky? How will each factor in throughout the season?
2. How deep will the hitter rotation go?
Wisconsin has a plethora of elite hitters, and due to Lopez still recovering, it has made it easier to get younger hitters into the rotation. Grace Egan has been mostly playing the right side. How deep will the hitter rotation go when the games actually count?
There was also a different wrinkle in the starting lineup for the Badgers against Butler: Eva Travis didn't get the start, and it was Audrey Flanagan instead. Madison Quest was also in as an outside hitter.
It seems like Sheffield's top hitters, based on playing time so far, are: Travis, Quest, and Flanagan. Though Egan will play a ton there when Lopez is fully going at right side. Halle Thompson is still recovering from injury, and while she made an appearance, she was eased into the Butler exhibition. Does Thompson have a part of the rotation too?
3. How long will Jaela Auguste be out? Will she be ready for Kentucky?
Auguste has yet to play in the fall, and she was an absolute force in the spring. She's going to be important to this team, and Sheffield said he was playing it safe for both Auguste and Thompson. It's clear that Auguste is behind Thompson in recovery. Does she make it back in a week?
Sheffield hasn't been perfectly clear with it. He has said that it's not a long-term thing and it's something that they are just monitoring in a precautionary way. But it's a question that needs to be answered.
4. How involved will Declise Champion be?
We've yet to see the elite Puerto Rican hitter in either exhibition. She's one of the best young players in the world, and while she's super young at only 16 years old, she will be turning 17 next month. Sheffield will most likely protect her this season, but her talent may eventually get her on the court. It's a surprise that she hasn't appeared yet, since the games don't matter, and Sheffield has yet to address it.
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