Wisconsin
Kelly Sheffield breaks down Wisconsin volleyball’s four 2026 recruits on signing day
Kelly Sheffield discusses volleyball recruiting in transfer portal era
Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield talked about his philosophy with recruiting in the transfer portal era on signing day for the 2026 class.
MADISON — Kelly Sheffield was at Luke Fickell’s house along with fellow Wisconsin head coaches Greg Gard and Mike Hastings when the longtime volleyball coach was awaiting some news from one of his 2026 recruits.
“The four of us were over there outside, and I said, ‘I’m expecting a phone call now. … If I get a FaceTime and a commitment, I’m going in the pool,’” Sheffield said.
Then came the call with good news from Audrey Flanagan, a highly-touted outside hitter from Redondo Beach, California. Flanagan delivered the good news with a regular phone call rather than a video call, which perhaps made it even better news for Sheffield.
“So I stayed dry,” Sheffield said. “But that was a cool moment. … When you’re getting a commitment, that feels as good as almost any win, and it’s really unusual to celebrate a commitment with other head coaches of other sports.”
Sheffield is drenched with optimism, though, about the four-person class that is ranked second nationally in PrepVolleyball.com’s rankings. The class consists of Flanagan and Halle Thompson at outside hitter and Lynney Tarnow and Kymora Scott at middle blocker.
“We’ve got four fantastic players, fantastic humans that will be joining our program,” Sheffield said. “Great competitors that all have very high ceilings, I believe.”
Here is what Sheffield said about each of his newest Badgers, along with their comments released via UW Athletics upon their signing:
Halle Thompson
Halle Thompson, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Spring, Texas, is “certainly one of the most dynamic attackers in the country,” Sheffield said.
“She was one of the starting outsides (for USA Volleyball’s U19 team) and can pass, is fearless,” Sheffield said. “Great serve. I don’t say that too many times about a high school kid, but she’s got a really, really nice serve. … She will tattoo balls from the back row. An elite back-row attacker for her age.”
Thompson, a highly-touted recruit in Texas on a highly-recruited club team, “kind of took us a little bit by surprise with her interest,” Sheffield said.
“Sometimes when you’re on the phone with people, it goes really, really well, and you just know you’re talking the same language,” Sheffield said. “And others, it’s almost like you’re talking with somebody that you’re pretty sure the words were English, but they’re not understanding me and I’m not understand them. Halle — we were speaking the same language right from the get-go.”
Thompson’s comments via UW Athletics: “The University of Wisconsin immediately felt like home from the moment I arrived on campus. After participating in a fun and exciting four-day camp and joining my future teammates in the program’s tradition of jumping into Lake Mendota, I knew Wisconsin was the perfect fit. The university’s balance of academic excellence, athletic intensity and vibrant community reflects everything I value. I’m thrilled to represent the Badgers and to grow both on the court and in the classroom, surrounded by coaches, teammates and peers who share the same drive and passion — proud to be a Badger!”
Audrey Flanagan
Audrey Flanagan, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from Redonda Beach, California, went to the same high school as current UW setter Charlie Fuerbringer.
“Tall, six-rotation player,” Sheffield said. “Can get into angles that very few people can get to with her age. … I think she can be an elite blocker as well. Her contact point is just different than most people. Her ability to hit high and to get into angles — just a very, very smooth athlete.”
Flanagan at one point had a knee injury, but Sheffield said her approach to rehab “was done really well.”
“It was a great rehab,” Sheffield said. “We’re getting a great, great player. We’re getting a healthy player and one that’s going to have a huge impact for us.”
Flanagan and Thompson are “two of the top outsides in this class, dynamic six-rotation players,” Sheffield said. They were on the same U19 team for USA Volleyball. Flanagan will join the Badgers in May after the end of the club season rather than early-enrolling.
Flanagan’s comments via UW Athletics: “I chose Wisconsin because the moment I stepped on campus, it just felt like home. The people, the energy and the team culture were everything I was looking for. It’s a place where everyone pushes each other to get better and where the love for the game is unmatched. I can’t wait to play at the Field House and experience how special it is to be a Badger!!”
Kymora Scott
Kymora Scott, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker/right-side hitter from Flossmoor, Illinois, was a little more under the radar before she caught the UW staff’s attention at the convention center in Indianapolis.
“I was on one end of the convention center,” Sheffield said, guessing it might have been court No. 96. “And I get a text from Gary (White). ‘I need you on court 1.’ And I wrote back to him. I said, ‘Are you effing with me right now?’ That was a 25-minute walk through the crowds to get over there. He says, ‘I really need you over here.’”
When Sheffield finally finished the trek across the convention center and stood at the court where Scott was playing, she quickly impressed him.
“About two minutes in, we both sat down, and we stayed for a while,” Sheffield said. “Her athleticism, her ability to hit off of one foot really jumped out. You could see, wow, there’s an effortless ability to attack off one foot. She reminded me of a former player I had at Dayton named Megan Campbell with her ability to hit off of one foot or Devyn Robinson’s ability to hit off of one foot at the similar age.”
Scott’s under-the-radar status was “totally fine” for Sheffield, but also a little unusual for one of the top volleyball programs in the country.
“We don’t lean too much on the rankings when we’re recruiting people, but typically when we’re offering somebody scholarships, usually it’s not somebody that most people don’t know about,” Sheffield said. “And that was kind of the case here.”
Scott’s comments via UW Athletics: “I chose UW-Madison because when I stepped on campus for the first time, I realized this was more than just volleyball. The campus, the campus live, which never has a dull moment, school pride, the support the students have for each other and the alumni being so proud to say that they attended Wisconsin. The resources at Wisconsin sets them apart from other colleges. These resources set students up for success after graduation. UW is a great place to continue to be that beacon of light to others who look like me, through majors such as communications where I interact with others and represent myself through ways like volleyball and outside of volleyball.”
Lynney Tarnow
Lynney Tarnow, a 6-foot-5 middle blocker from Downers Grove, Illinois, has a long history as a Wisconsin fan.
“We’ve known Lynney for a long, long time,” Sheffield said. “She sent me a picture a few weeks ago of her when she was probably about nine and coming to our little Badgers camp, and I think she was eating a popsicle or something during one of the breaks. With those groups, we give them popsicles during the breaks. We’re not doing that to our high school kids.”
Now that Tarnow is beyond her days of having popsicles at UW youth volleyball camps, she has a skill set worthy of national attention.
“Most people in the country know who she is,” Sheffield said. “Very physical attacker. Played for an elite club. Played for national championships and has been in the USA pipeline for a while. Has got the ability to hit off one or two feet. Can be a very physical blocker.”
Tarnow drew a comparison from Sheffield to former UW star Haleigh Nelson.
“She has a lot more experience coming in than what Haleigh had at the same age,” Sheffield said. “But there’s certainly some similarities. I would say Lynney’s a better athlete at this age, and we all know what type of impact Haleigh had in her career.”
Tarnow’s comments via UW Athletics: “I chose Wisconsin because I have loved this school since my very first volleyball camp when I was nine years old. It has been my dream to be a part of this prestigious program, with its traditions and massive support from the community. I’m thrilled to be a Badger!”
Residents can attend the July 16 meeting in Sheboygan or submit written comments by email to NOAA.
Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary has 36 shipwrecks
Discover the history, shipwrecks and impact of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, established to protect maritime heritage in Lake Michigan. This video was created by the Wochit AI tool.
Wochit
SHEBOYGAN – Residents can attend or comment on an upcoming meeting of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council scheduled for July 16 in Sheboygan.
The gathering will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sheboygan County Museum, 3110 Erie Ave., according to a community announcement. Members of the public are invited to attend and observe discussions.
The agenda includes routine council business, updates from working groups, community reports and briefings from NOAA staff on sanctuary programs, research and upcoming events.
Public can provide comments during meeting
A public comment period is planned for about 7:50 p.m., giving attendees a chance to share feedback directly with council members.
Those unable to attend may submit written comments by email to jean.prevo@noaa.gov, according to the announcement.
Council shares updates on sanctuary programs
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will provide updates tied to the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, including research initiatives and community engagement efforts.
More information about the council and its activities is available online at sanctuaries.noaa.gov.
This story was created by reporter Nida Tazeen, NTazeen@usatodayco.com , with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
Wisconsin
A Wisconsin family is suing Target after their 10-month-old died from swallowing a water bead
A Wisconsin family lost their ten-month-old daughter after she swallowed a water bead. They blame Target and the water bead manufacturer for her death.
This week, Taylor and Tyler Bethard filed a lawsuit against Target in Hennepin County, claiming that the company failed to warn them and other customers about the dangers of a water beads product that used to be sold exclusively at Target.
Water beads are marketed as toys that come with sensory kits or craft sets, but data shows the products are prone to injuring young children. The polymer material is extremely absorbent, allowing water beads – which are often colorful – to expand around 100 times their original size when they interact with water or liquid. This presents a hazard for kids; the United States Product Safety Commission states that between 2017 and 2022, there were 6,300 water bead-related ingestion injuries that required treatment from emergency departments across the country.
In 2023, a 10-month-old girl died. Her name is Esther “Jo” Bethard. According to court filings, Taylor Bethard found her daughter unresponsive in her crib on the morning of July 7, 2023, after she had suffered symptoms of a stomach illness overnight. Medical examiners told the family that her death was caused by swallowing a single water bead.
The Bethards had purchased a Chuckle and Roar water bead set in the spring of 2022 for Esther Jo’s older siblings, never intending for the infant to interact with the water beads.
Target and the Chuckle and Roar manufacturer, Buffalo Games LLC, mutually agreed to pull the product from the shelves in November of 2022. Court records show an email exchange between Buffalo Games and a product safety employee at Target where the manufacturer noted that while their water beads had met safety standards at the time, they wanted to “avoid any future unintended misuse of the product.”
That conversation was prompted after Buffalo Games was informed that an infant required surgery after ingesting a water bead from the Ultimate Water Beads kit. Target agreed to end sales, indicating that this would be classified as a “safety removal.”
The Bethard’s lawsuit alleges that Target clearly knew how dangerous these water beads could be, but failed to warn them or other customers. Target stopped selling the product about eight months before Esther Jo died. Daniel Mann, a personal injury attorney representing the Bethards in this case, said that Esther Jo would still be alive if Target had acted.
“With all this information Target didn’t do anything to reach out to the family or other consumers to let them know about this problem,” Mann said, “I think 10/10 people would say Target had a responsibility to do more than what they did, which was nothing.”
A spokesperson for Target said that they would not comment on ongoing litigation, but the company had already responded to an identical complaint filed by the Bethards in the State of New York. In 2025, the Bethards sued both Target and Buffalo Games in Erie County, N.Y., because that was where the manufacturer was based. In response to the lawsuit there, court filings show that Target denied the allegations that they knew of an extraordinary danger posed by the water beads and failed to notify customers.
The complaint was dismissed against Target in New York, Mann explained, due to jurisdiction. This lead to them refiling in Hennepin County this week.
In a statement to WCCO on the new legal action, a Target spokesperson said “We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this tragedy, and we worked closely with the manufacturer of the product at the time the incident occurred.”
Taylor Bethard, Esther Jo’s mother, has lead the charge to ban water beads entirely. Her efforts lead to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commision recalling the more than 52,000 Chuckle and Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits that were in circulation. The recall took effect in September of 2023. Target, Walmart and Amazon announced that they would stop marketing water beads to children.
Bethard is also working with Wisconsin U.S. State Senator Tammy Baldwin to establish federal legislation to permanently outlaw all water beads. This past spring, the CPSC established new legal guidelines that restrict the size of water beads to try to ensure high safety standards.
(WLUK) — Wisconsin State Patrol troopers are teaming up with truckers to better spot dangerous driving behaviors.
The annual Trooper in a Truck initiative kicks off next week in Wisconsin.
Troopers will ride along with with semitruck and bus drivers to use the higher vantage point to spot dangerous driving behaviors, especially near commercial motor vehicles.
Troopers will be looking for risky driving behaviors, including distracted driving, speeding, following too closely and seatbelt violations. When an officer identifies a violation from the truck or bus, they will radio to patrol cars in the area for appropriate enforcement action.
Drivers can expect to see Trooper in a Truck enforcement in the following areas:
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