The Wisconsin volleyball team needed five sets to break out of its slowest start since 1990.

And the Badgers needed to rally.

Down 2-1, to TCU, sixth-ranked UW dominated the fourth set and never trailed in the fifth to post a 25-15, 27-29, 21-25, 25-16, 15-11 victory over the Horned Frogs in a Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge match at the Ferrell Center on the campus of Baylor in Waco, Texas.

The win snapped a three-match losing streak to open the season.

Senior Sarah Franklin posted a team-high 18 kills and eight digs. Senior Devyn Robinson added 17 kills while hitting .381 and recording a team-high five blocks. Senior middle Caroline Crawford added 12 kills while hitting .400.

Freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer recorded her second straight double-double (43 assists, 13 digs).

“I thought we played really clean, really good volleyball the first, fourth and fifth set,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “We’ve got the ability to do some different things and figure things out as we’re going.”

The match was one of adjustments. Sheffield employed a 6-2 offense for a time in the third set, started senior Anna Smrek for the final two sets and used freshman Lola Schumacher as the team’s lone libero in the final two sets.

UW’s hitting percentage dipped to .049 in the third set, but it bounced back to hit .314 and .294 in the final two sets.

A 6-1 run that featured two kills by and three service points by Franklin helped give the Badgers control of the fourth set. Fuerbringer set the tone for the final set by opening with an ace and serving the first four points.

UW led by as many as six points in the final set and never trailed.

The Badgers continue the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge against No. 23 Baylor at 7 p.m. Saturday.

WATERTOWN, Wis. — Democrats are setting their sights on a GOP stronghold district in Wisconsin this November — and they’re playing dirty to beat Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican incumbent whose seat was once held by former Speaker of the House and VP candidate Paul Ryan.

A victory for Steil’s Democratic challenger Peter Barca, now the state’s Secretary of Revenue, would be an uphill battle in a district that has voted red for decades and has a Likely Republican rating in the Cook Political Report.

That long-shot status may be why the pol is slinging mud in a new campaign ad, attacking the Steil’s record on abortion and in-vitro fertilization.

In the 30 second spot, Barca claims Steil worked to “overturn Roe V. Wade,” a ruling made by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dobbs decision, not Congress. The ad also says Steil supports “pregnancy surveillance” and restricting IVF.

Barca’s campaign did not respond to a request from The Post to define and provide sourcing for his assertions about Steil’s stances.

Whatever “pregnancy surveillance” is, Steil is not in favor, his campaign confirmed to The Post, adding that the ad is blatantly false.

The two-term congressman spoke to The Post after taking part in a Trump 47 policy panel in Milwaukee Thursday night.

“I support looking at ways to lower the cost of IVF for families. I’ve cosponsored legislation that looks at how we can use Health Savings Accounts as it relates to IVF,” Steil said when asked whether he supports Donald Trump’s free IVF policy.

“As a conservative, I support families and IVF is a way for many couples to be able to have a family. And sometimes it’s the only way. [That is] one of the key reasons we support IVF.”

Responding to questions from The Post about his positions on abortion, Steil pointed out that current law in Wisconsin restricts abortion to the first 20 weeks.

“Dobbs shifted [abortion] primarily to the states,” Steil added.

Barca voted against the Pain-Capable Abortion Act — a 20 week abortion ban — as the minority leader of the State Assembly in 2015.

Whereas Steil is open about his positions on abortion, Barca does not define his positions on the controversial topic for voters, such as whether abortions should be available through all nine months of pregnancy.

The “reproductive freedom” page on Barca’s campaign website says the candidate “believes a woman’s health care decisions are between herself and her doctor – not politicians.”

A June Marquette University Law Poll found that 66% of Wisconsin registered voters do not support legalizing abortion in all cases. Abortion was the third-rated issue for voters in the poll on deciding their vote in the election, after the economy and immigration.

“I myself come down on the side of life,” Steil told The Post. “I support reasonable exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother. It is the Democrats that are extreme on [abortion]. Peter Barca is always in line with extreme Democratic positions,”

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Steil tweeted, “Today’s decision will bring this important issue back to the states. This is a great victory for life.”

Barca received a lifetime grade of “A,” or 100%, from NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin in 2012 as the minority leader of the state assembly for supporting state funding for Planned Parenthood and opposing restrictions on abortion. Planned Parenthood, which opposes restrictions on abortion and supports public funding of abortions, has endorsed his race for Congress this November.

Barca’s campaign did not respond to The Post’s request for comment by time of publication.

MILWAUKEE — It’s starting to feel like fall in southeast Wisconsin and there’s plenty of great activities going on this weekend to get you in the autumn spirit. Check out Adriana’s full list below!

FRIDAY:
Cole Swindell
The Rave / Eagles Club
2401 W. Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Colorado Rockies at Milwaukee Brewers
American Family Field
1 Brewers Way,
Milwaukee, WI 53214

Oktoberfest 2024
The Bavarian Bierhaus
700 W Lexington Blvd, 700 W Lexington Blvd,
Glendale, WI 53217

Mondo Lucha
Turner Hall Ballroom
1040 N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI 53203

Romance Con
Baird Center
400 W. Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI 53203

The Big Bounce America
Henry Meir Festival Park
639 E. Summerfest Place,
Milwaukee, WI 53202

TosaFest
Village of Wauwatosa
7603 W. State Street,
Wauwatosa, WI 53213

Military and First Responders Appreciation Night
1950 Washington Street,
Grafton, WI 53024

Women of Rock
Milwaukee Repertory Theater,
108 W. Wells Street,
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Apple Picking Season
Apple Barn Orchard & Winery
W6384 Sugar Creek Road,
Elkhorn, WI, United States, Wisconsin

SATURDAY
Grupo Frontera
Fiserv Forum
1111 Vel R. Phillips Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203

Fiesta Selena
4511 S. Sixth St
Milwaukee, WI

Silver City Fest
VIA CDC
W. National Ave. Between 32nd & 35th Street,
Milwaukee, WI 53215

The FRANK MOTS INT’L KITE FESTIVAL
Gift of Wings, Inc. Kite Store
McKinley Marina, Veterans Park (lakefront),
Milwaukee, WI 53202

National Lawn Bowls Championships
Lake Park, Bowling Green
3131 E Newberry Blvd,
Milwaukee, WI, 53211

Fall Festival
Downtown Oconomowoc
133 East Wisconsin Avenue – Oconomowoc, WI 53066

SUNDAY
Ride on the Wild Side Bike Ride
Milwaukee County Zoo,
10001 W Bluemound Rd,
Milwaukee, WI 53226

MONDAY
Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits Tour with Simple Plan and girlfriends
American Family Insurance Am
Summerfest Grounds, Milwaukee, WI

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