MADISON – Wisconsin volleyball has consistently been considered one of the top teams in the country.
The 2026 Badgers have never been below No. 7 in the AVCA coaches poll. (Even then, No. 7 was just a one-week dip from UW’s usual No. 6 spot.) UW hasn’t been higher than No. 5 in the poll either.
The NCAA selection committee showed a new level of outside optimism in the Badgers, though, when ranking them at No. 4 in the in-season top 16 reveal.
The rankings come with the obvious caveat that they are, as UW coach Kelly Sheffield put it, a “snapshot in time.” With more than a month before Selection Sunday, Wisconsin and its peers have plenty of time to impress or unimpress the committee.
But for the moment, the selection committee’s high ranking of five-loss Wisconsin – 10 spots above the next-best five-loss team – is a reminder of the December implications that an elite nonconference schedule in August and September can have.
“They’ve been saying for years that scheduling matters,” Sheffield said. “Winning against elite opponents matters.”
Only one of Wisconsin’s five losses was to a team outside of the selection committee’s top 16. At the same time, the Badgers have four wins against teams in the top 16.
Nebraska and Pittsburgh – the teams the committee ranked at No. 1 and 2, respectively – also have four top-16 wins. Kentucky has a whopping six wins, and the committee slotted the Wildcats at No. 3.
Many metrics look kindly on the Badgers’ resume, albeit not quite as kindly as the NCAA selection committee’s rankings. UW is No. 5 in RPI, No. 6 in KPI and No. 6 in Massey ratings. Evollve has UW at No. 7 in its team ratings.
“I think you can make a lot of argument of where that range is,” Sheffield said. “I think there’s probably a range for us, somewhere probably between three and seven. It’s really kind of a thin margin with a lot of those teams in that range. But proud of the direction that we’re going.”
Sheffield’s last sentiment could be especially important for an especially young Wisconsin team. (The Badgers have 11 newcomers in 2026, including nine who are officially listed as freshmen.)
Two of UW’s next four matches – and three of its next six matches – are against other teams in the NCAA selection committee’s top 16. UW could potentially face two or three top-16 teams again in the Big Ten’s inaugural conference tournament.
Those matches will test the young Badgers’ improvement – and naturally have a bearing on whether the Badgers’ spot in the NCAA tournament bracket can match the high ranking from six weeks earlier.
“We’re not a perfect team,” Sheffield said. “We’re working to get better, and we’re heading in that direction.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin volleyball’s high NCAA rank is reminder that ‘scheduling matters’