Wisconsin

Why Wisconsin volleyball’s next two matches could carry big postseason implications

Published

2 months ago

November 4, 2025

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Why Wisconsin volleyball’s next two matches could carry big postseason implications

Badgers have two big opportunities to boost RPI at home vs. Minnesota, Indiana

The Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team faces two crucial matches against No. 22 Minnesota and No. 18 Indiana.
These upcoming matches are important for improving Wisconsin’s No. 20 RPI ranking.
An improved RPI ranking could help Wisconsin’s chances of hosting in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

MADISON – Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield has not shied away from expressing his dislike of RPI.

“There’s a lot of different metrics out there; our sport uses very little of them,” Sheffield said earlier in the season.

But RPI – as Sheffield fully recognizes – underscores how important Wisconsin’s next two matches are as the 11th-ranked Badgers take on No. 22 Minnesota on Nov. 5 and No. 18 Indiana on Nov. 9 at the UW Field House.

Wisconsin is No. 20 in RPI in the Nov. 3 rankings with eight matches remaining in the 2025 schedule. Indiana and Minnesota are tied for No. 12 in RPI.

“Two teams that are above us in the RPI,” Sheffield said. “And you start getting to this time of year that those types of things start mattering a little bit more.”

While RPI obviously is not the only factor that the NCAA selection committee will use when it announces the postseason bracket on Nov. 30, it does suggest the Badgers have some work to do to earn one of the top 16 overall seeds that are required to host the first two rounds.

UW has hosted the first two rounds in all but two seasons during Sheffield’s tenure. The Badgers had to go to Iowa State in 2017, where they knocked off the Cyclones to advance to the regional semifinals. The other time was in 2020, when the NCAA used only one site due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Obviously a big goal is to be hosting that opening weekend of the tournament,” Sheffield said. “It’s a big deal. It’s a big deal to this community and our fan base. … Coaches are always trying to find a way to spin it anyways, but you really want to be home.”

These two matches are not Wisconsin’s last chance to boost its postseason résumé and increase its chances of hosting. No. 9 Purdue will visit the Field House on Nov. 19, and No. 22 Minnesota will play the Badgers again on Nov. 28 in Minneapolis to conclude the 2025 regular season.

But there is not a massive margin for error for a Badgers team with four losses and only one win against teams currently ranked in the AVCA coaches poll. (Georgia Tech, Florida and UCLA were ranked at the time of Wisconsin’s wins over them, but now they are merely receiving votes.)

None of last year’s top 16 overall teams had more than seven losses. Fortunately for Wisconsin, all four losses so far this year have been to teams that remain ranked, No. 1 Nebraska, No. 4 Texas, No. 17 USC and No. 25 Penn State. Texas and Nebraska are a combined 40-2 so far this season.

At the same time, Wisconsin has not been quite as competitive against top-tier opponents since losing 2024 third-team All-American setter Charlie Fuerbringer to a shoulder injury. (Her timeline to return is unclear.)

The Badgers are 1-3 against AVCA-ranked teams since Fuerbringer’s injury versus 3-1 before that. That record comes with the caveat that the most recent ranked loss – No. 1 Nebraska’s sweep at the UW Field House – would have been daunting, even if Fuerbringer had been healthy.

“We’ve just got to continue to evolve and get better, which I think anybody that’s been watching us can see that,” Sheffield said.

Victories over Minnesota and Indiana would likely stand out on Wisconsin’s postseason résumé as quality wins. The Gophers have lost only once against a team that is not at least receiving votes in the coaches poll and boast a quality win over Indiana.

Then Wisconsin will face what Sheffield described as “maybe the best team that Indiana has ever had.” The Hoosiers are tied with UW for third in the Big Ten with a 9-3 conference record and coming off a sweep over Penn State.

“We’ve got two more opportunities in front of us – really good teams – and then it doesn’t stop there,” Sheffield said. “Probably the back half of our schedule is probably a little bit tougher than our first half. And I think we’ll probably learn a whole lot more about ourselves.”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin starting offensive lineman transfers to Big Ten school

Published

5 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin starting offensive lineman transfers to Big Ten school

The Wisconsin Badgers will see a revamped offensive line in 2026, as several starters from the 2025 team are heading elsewhere. Left tackle Riley Mahlman is heading to the 2026 NFL Draft, as he’s out of eligibility, while Joe Brunner and Jake Renfro both entered the transfer portal.

Brunner was a recent addition, as he was also mulling entering the draft before returning to school. With one year of eligibility left, he’ll head elsewhere and is expected to be a hot commodity for some top programs.

Renfro, on the other hand, is heading to a seventh year of college football, thanks to a redshirt that wrapped up his third season at Wisconsin. Injuries have been an unfortunate theme of Renfro’s career. He missed the entire 2022 season at Cincinnati due to injury. Then, after transferring to Wisconsin ahead of the 2023 season, where he was projected to start at center, lower-body injuries cost the offensive lineman another season.

He started all 12 games for the Badgers in 2024 at center and looked to come back and have one more year of tape before heading to the pros. Unfortunately, Renfro got hurt during fall camp and never fully looked himself this season, constantly battling injuries before being ruled out for the season. He ended up playing just four games and entered the portal for his seventh year of college football.

Well, Renfro has a new destination: the Illinois Fighting Illini. Illinois is losing four starting offensive linemen this offseason, including center Josh Kreutz, and needs experience up front. Should he be healthy, Renfro could be a plug-and-play starter for the Fighting Illini in 2026.

There are a few connections for Renfro at Illinois, as his father, Rick, played offensive line there from 1982-84. Renfro is also an Illinois native and should be a leader in the room next year.

Wisconsin moved quickly to replace Renfro, landing Oklahoma State center Austin Kawecki in the transfer portal. He should start there in his final year of eligibility.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 10, 2026

Published

17 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 10, 2026

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

05-19-21-28-64, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 6-2-0

Evening: 0-5-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 4-6-3-5

Evening: 5-9-1-2

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 01-07-08-09-10-15-17-18-19-20-22

Evening: 03-04-05-06-08-09-12-18-19-20-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

03-08-23-26-31

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

09-10-23-28-30-35, Doubler: Y

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

06-13-35-36-41-47

Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin vs. Michigan Game Thread: Can’t let this one slip early

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin vs. Michigan Game Thread: Can’t let this one slip early

The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines on the road on Saturday, with tip-off set for 12:00 p.m. at the Crisler Center on CBS.

Wisconsin has seen some ups and downs this season, failing to secure a Quad 1 win through 15 games, as they’ve gone 0-5 in those opportunities. The team did pick up a nice win at home over the UCLA Bruins earlier this week, using a huge start to stay on top 80-72.

That got Wisconsin to 10-5 and added their third Quad 2 win of the season, but no matchup so far will compare to what the Badgers will face against the Michigan Wolverines, who have started 14-0 this season. Michigan has dominated its competition so far. They’ve beaten three ranked teams so far, and the lowest margin of victory in those games was 30 points.

But the Wolverines did face some trouble earlier this week, narrowly beating the 9-6 Penn State Nittany Lions 74-72 on the road.

Heading into Saturday, the Badgers are seen as 19.5-point underdogs, easily their biggest spread of the season as an underdog. Can they find a way to keep this one competitive?

Join us as our game thread is officially open for Saturday’s game!

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