MADISON, Wis. — A tough early schedule is paying off for Wisconsin volleyball. The NCAA Division I selection committee placed the Badgers fourth in its in-season top 16, a spot higher than they have reached in the coaches poll all season, even though they have already lost five matches.
The committee, which reviewed 64 teams and looked at schedule strength, victories over top-10 opponents and direct meetings in matches through Oct. 17, put Nebraska first, Pittsburgh second and Kentucky third. Wisconsin is 10 places ahead of any other team with five losses.
The Badgers own four wins over teams in the top 16, matching Nebraska and Pittsburgh, while Kentucky has six. Only one of Wisconsin’s losses came against a team outside the group. Other measures are a bit less generous, ranking the Badgers fifth in RPI and sixth in both KPI and the Massey ratings. Head coach Kelly Sheffield has called the list a snapshot, and he placed his team somewhere in the three-to-seven range.
In the weekly coaches poll, Wisconsin has not fallen below seventh and has not climbed higher than fifth. This year’s roster is young, with 11 newcomers, nine of them listed as freshmen.
The ranking will be tested quickly. Two of the Badgers’ next four matches, and three of the next six, come against other top-16 teams, and more could follow in the first Big Ten tournament. Selection Sunday is Nov. 29, and the national semifinals and final will be played at San Antonio’s Alamodome on Dec. 17 and Dec. 20.
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