The kickoff to the Wisconsin volleyball season is the annual Wisconsin alumni match. The current roster faces off against previous players who come back for a fun game. It doesn't count for anything but fun and gives the current team a chance to warm up, feel the competitive juices, and get the season started with a nice on-ramp. The game takes place on Saturday, August 8 at 6 pm on UW Field House.
This year's alumni team is basically an All-Star team, and if given a whole year to work together, could win a National Championship. It's an insane group of players and showcases how great Wisconsin's alumni are. It helped head coach Kelly Sheffield and the Wisconsin volleyball operations to recruit this roster in thanks to LOVB Madison. Many of these players are now local.
Why this year's Wisconsin alumni game feels like an All-Star event
Related: Wisconsin volleyball fans are going to love where Mimi Colyer is playing next
The full alumni roster is:
Alicia Andrew
Carter Booth
Lauren Carlini
Tiffany Clark
Caroline Crawford
Sarah Franklin
Sydney Hilley
Grace Loberg
Temi Thomas-Aliara
Coached by Annemarie Hickey, Dana Rettke, and Anna Smrek.
LOVB Madison features a good chunk of these players; the professional volleyball team has Temi Thomas-Ailara, Caroline Crawford, Lauren Carlini, and Mimi Colyer, all of whom are part of that squad. Making it easier for these players to be featured in this match.
Wisconsin, when announcing the roster, posted the accolades, and it's astounding: "The full list of alumni attendees consists of 11 current pro volleyball players, two Olympians, four Badger National Champions, two AVCA National Player of the Year honorees, and a combined total of 27 AVCA All-American honors."
There's also a good chunk of recent graduates from last season, like Colyer, but also Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew. It's hard not to think that this alumni team is beating the current team and really showing them what it looks like to take on a very veteran team. This isn't to throw any shade against the current team, but they are young and still learning to play together. The talent that Wisconsin is bringing in for the alumni game is full of all-stars, and most are professional players now.
The biggest need this current group will have is bumps in the road. There is no learning curve quite like battling together. The talent for the 2026 Wisconsin volleyball program is through the roof, and the ceiling is incredibly high, but it will be mostly held together by underclassmen. While there are a few talented juniors, the team has absolutely zero seniors. The most veteran player may actually be an international libero, Anna Bardaro.
Another note about the alumni game in a couple of weeks is that the match will also feature a banner unveiling from last season. "In addition to the match, Wisconsin will reveal its 2025 NCAA National Semifinal banner with the help of Badger alumnae Jada Cerniglia."
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