The Wisconsin volleyball program is not taking the cupcake schedule for 2026. In fact, it's about as tough as you can get. The Big Ten is already a brutal conference full of tons of grenades, but the Badgers decided to make it even tougher by scheduling almost every top program outside of the Big Ten, too. Wisconsin volleyball beat reporter Dennis Punzel called it the "toughest non-conference schedule I can remember."
It comes at an interesting time for Wisconsin, as the roster is full of star talent but an incredibly young roster. They won't have a single senior suiting up (if the roster remains exactly the same). The juniors will have to carry the load and yet know they are going to be mixing in a good deal of true freshmen. It could be just the opportunity for growth that this team needs.
Toughest non-conference schedule I can remember. Plus Nebraska on the road. A challenging road ahead. https://t.co/T4GojBRCer
— Dennis Punzel (@DennisPunzel) May 4, 2026
The Wisconsin volleyball schedule could have a few early hiccups
The Badgers start the season with Kentucky, Louisville, Stanford, and Pitt. Two of those were Final 4 teams last season, and the other two were Sweet 16 teams that went into the NCAA Tournament as No. 2 seeds.
It doesn't get much easier after that, as Wisconsin then takes on Florida, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Texas. The Aggies are the defending national champions. Florida and Texas were both NCAA Tournament teams, and the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the nation for a good period last season. Auburn is the only team in those four that didn't make the tournament. The Badgers then finish the non-conference with Marquette and UW-Milwaukee.
Wisconsin won't be able to come up for air in the Big Ten as it is considered by many pundits to be the conference with the highest level of volleyball across the board, with Nebraska often being the pace-car.
The team that is built around mostly juniors and true freshmen will have to figure out how to make this happen and quickly. It could be a schedule that provides early learning opportunities and gelling moments. It won't be easy, but it's certainly an opportunity.
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