MADISON – Kelly Sheffield has a lot to like as he looks at the Wisconsin volleyball team’s 2026 roster.
“I love the roster that we have right now,” Sheffield said. “I love the ability to grow with this group. This group is going to be feisty and get after it on Day 1.”
That puts Sheffield’s Badgers in an enviable position as the spring transfer portal window opens May 1 for 15 days. As of April 30, the longtime UW coach did not see an “incredible need” for the 2026 roster.
Wisconsin will be in the market for players who can fill the two remaining roster spots and bring the Badgers to the 18-player cap. (NCAA rules do not require teams to use every roster spot, but it could have Title IX implications for a particular school.)
“If we didn’t have a roster target number that I was given, I’m not sure that we’d be bringing anybody in, but we do, and I’ve got to respond to that,” Sheffield said in a phone call.
The Badgers’ biggest need after the winter transfer portal window appeared to be libero after the departures of Aniya Warren and Maile Chan, who transferred to Oklahoma and Florida State, respectively. That left Kristen Simon as the only libero on the spring roster.
UW has since at least partially addressed that need with the commitment from Italian libero Anna Bardaro – “a partner in crime” for Simon, Sheffield said after the last spring match. Sheffield did suggest at the time that UW could “hopefully get her another one back there.”
But the Badgers already appear to have an abundance of depth at several other positions.
UC-Santa Barbara transfer Eva Travis and incoming freshmen Audrey Flanagan and Halle Thompson were among the outside hitters who impressed during spring practices and matches. They joined returners Grace Egan, Grace Lopez and Madison Quest (although Egan and Lopez did not play in the spring due to injuries).
Florida transfer Jaela Auguste shined at middle blocker in the spring and was responsible for one play in particular against Northern Illinois that Sheffield ranked among some of the best in the Field House’s lengthy history. Rising sophomore Natalie Wardlow and incoming freshman Lynney Tarnow are among UW’s other threats in the middle.
“It’ll be a nice parlor game trying to figure out who’s going to play for this team,” Sheffield said after the spring sweep over Northern Illinois. “Especially on the pins, there’s a lot of capable players, and we had some of them that didn’t even get in today.”
Wisconsin also is again in good shape at setter as Charlie Fuerbringer, a 2024 third-team All-American, approaches her junior season. Isabelle Hoppe, who flipped her commitment from Pittsburgh, was the No. 10 recruit in PrepVolleyball.com’s final 2026 recruiting rankings.
Sheffield is largely keeping an open mind ahead of the spring portal, though, as he approaches a window that helped the Badgers land eventual starter Alicia Andrew and backup libero Jada Cerniglia in 2025.
“If there are areas to make us better, we’re certainly going to be open and looking for that,” Sheffield said. “But at what position? I think that still will be determined.”
Wisconsin Badgers 2026 volleyball roster
The following players are listed alphabetically within each position group:
Outside hitters or right-side hitters: Grace Egan, Audrey Flanagan, Grace Lopez, Madison Quest, Halle Thompson, Eva Travis
Middle blockers: Jaela Auguste, Kymora Scott, Lynney Tarnow, Natalie Wardlow
Setters: Charlie Fuerbringer, Isabelle Hoppe, Morgan Van Wie
Liberos: Anna Bardaro, Kristen Simon
Open roster spots: 2/18
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where 2026 Wisconsin volleyball roster stands ahead of transfer portal