Photos: Wisconsin volleyball holds off Louisville Cardinals to reach NCAA title game
The fourth-seeded University of Wisconsin volleyball team went the distance Thursday night, defeating the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals 25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-9 in an NCAA national semifinal at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.Â
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UW players celebrate a block by Dana Rettke, right. Rettke finished with eight blocks.
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UW's Julia Orzol, left, and Dana Rettke celebrate a point during their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Sydney Hilley reacts after Louisville hit the ball out-of-bounds during their national semifinal game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Louisville's Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly helps her players warm up before their national semifinal game against Wisconsin at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Julia Orzol (left) tries to tip the ball past Louisville's Aiko Jones's block during their national semifinal game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin players celebrate winning their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Giorgia Civita celebrates winning their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Anna Smrek (14) and Devyn Robinson try to block Louisville's Claire Chaussee during their national semifinal game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Brooke Smith, foreground, hits a pass in front of teammate Alexa Hendricks before a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Aiko Jones, right, spikes the ball in front of Wisconsin's Grace Loberg, left, and Dana Rettke during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Alexa Hendricks hits a pass against Wisconsin during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Julie Orzol hits a pass against Louisville during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Anna DeBeer, right, and Anna Stevenson try to block a shot by Wisconsin's Dana Rettke during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Julie Orzol, left, spikes the ball past Louisville's Tori Dilfer, center, and Anna Stevenson during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Anna Smrek (14) tips the ball in front of Louisville's Amaya Tillman during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Anna DeBeer, top right, spikes the ball against Wisconsin's Dana Rettke, left, and Sydney Hilley during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Anna Stevenson, left, spikes the ball against Wisconsin's Julie Orzol during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Anna Smrek, right, spikes the ball in front of Louisville's Anna Stevenson, center, and Wisconsin's Sydney Hilley during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Grace Loberg, right, spikes the ball in front of Louisville's Anna Stevenson, left, and Aiko Jones during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin volleyball
Louisville's Anna DeBeer, center, watches her spike between Wisconsin's Dana Rettke, left, and Sydney Hilley during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Devyn Robinson, left, blocks a tip by Louisville's Tori Dilfer during a semifinal match in the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Anna Stevenson, right, spikes the ball in front of Wisconsin's Grace Loberg left, and Dana Rettke during a semifinal match in the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville fans cheer during a semifinal match in the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin fans cheer during a semifinal match in the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament against Louisville Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Lauren Barnes (1), Julie Orzol (22), Sydney Hilley (2), Anna Smrek (14) and Dana Rettke, right, celebrate a win over Louisville in a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Louisville's Alexa Hendricks, right, walks off the court following a semifinal loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.
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UW coach Kelly Sheffield found out about Gulce Guctekin by an organization that helps European players hoping to play in the U.S.
NCAA Louisville Wisconsin Volleyball
Wisconsin's Devyn Robinson, left, spikes the ball against Louisville's Claire Chaussee during a semifinal of the NCAA women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio.Â
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Wisconsin players celebrate a point during their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Anna Smrek spikes the ball during their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Jade Demps celebrates a point during their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin's Lauren Barnes bumps the ball during their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
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Wisconsin players celebrate winning their national semifinal game against Louisville at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
The Badgers volleyball team captured the first national championship in program history with a thrilling five-set victory over Big Ten rival Nebraska in the NCAA final in Columbus, Ohio.
The University of Wisconsin volleyball team secured the program's first national championship when the fourth-seeded Badgers defeated the 10th…
