Wisconsin
Maryland women’s volleyball toppled by No. 9 Wisconsin in straight sets
Trailing 4-2 in the opening set, defensive specialist Ally Williams went behind the service line looking to spark a Maryland comeback against No. 9 Wisconsin and get the eighth-best serving team in the nation going.
Instead, Williams recorded the first of four service errors for the Terps in the set, establishing the tone of the match. Serving struggles were evident early on, as Maryland failed to record a service ace in the opening set for the first time all season. The Terps fell to the Badgers in straight sets.
“This is one of the better passing teams in the Big Ten, and we knew that would be one of the challenges,” head coach Adam Hughes said. “When you go strength on strength, you always wonder who is going to win the battle. I think it’s a bit tougher to serve when you’re on the road and not as comfortable.”
Wisconsin middle blocker Anna Smrek recorded back-to-back kills to get her team out to a quick 2-0 lead they never relinquished. Pin hitter Samantha Schnitta, the Terps’ leader in kills with 196, tallied a kill to put Maryland on the board. However, another kill from Smrek and middle blocker CC Crawford extended the Badgers lead to 7-2.
Middle blocker Anastasia Russ and outside hitter Sam Csire cut the Wisconsin lead to one. But two service aces from Badgers freshman sensation Charlie Fuerbringer and two team blocks sparked a Wisconsin run, moving the score to 14-8.
Outside hitter Sydney Bryant tried to give Maryland some momentum with a kill, but the Badgers responded just like they had done all set. Middle blocker Eva Rohrbach and setter Sydney Dowler each tallied a kill late in the set, but that wasn’t enough. Wisconsin closed out the set, 25-15.
The second set shaped up just like the previous one, as Maryland fell behind early, 4-2. Dowler knotted the score at six apiece as she recorded the Terps’ first service ace of the match. But outside hitter Sarah Franklin, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Year, recorded back-to-back kills, giving Wisconsin the lead back.
Russ stopped the bleeding and a potential Wisconsin run with a kill, but two more kills from Franklin pushed the score to 10-8. A kill from Schnitta cut the Maryland deficit to one. That was the closest the Terps ever got as Wisconsin went on a massive run.
With Badgers libero Lola Schumacher behind the service line, Wisconsin rattled off eight consecutive points, including four more team-blocks and service ace from Schumacher. It closed out the second-set victory, 25-11, with its ninth block of the set.
Csire recorded the opening point of the third set with a kill. However, this was short-lived, as Franklin responded with a kill and service ace. Schumacher got behind the line and sparked another Badgers’ run, helped by back-to-back kills from Crawford.
Down 8-2, Schnitta hoped to give the Terps some life with another kill, but she had an attack error in the next point. Service aces from outside hitter Julia Orzol and Crawford extended the Wisconsin lead to eight. A kill from Csire and service ace Rohrbach stopped the Badgers’ run at three.
Franklin recorded Wisconsin’s 11th service ace of the match, moving the score to 17-9. Maryland battled late in the set, hoping to muster up a comeback, but three more kills from Franklin shut the door, as the Terps fell 25-15.
“The big message we talked about at the end is in the third set, we were definitely more competitive,” Hughes said. “They had some point runs that were pretty big where it kind of puts it away immediately. I was proud we didn’t surrender there and kept battling against a good team.”
Three things to know
1. Service woes. Maryland recorded just three service aces in the match, its lowest mark. Coming off an impressive 10 aces in the last match, the Terps were unable to find any sort of serving momentum. Seven service errors also led to Maryland’s struggle.
2. First straight-sets loss of the season. In every match so far this season, the Terps pulled off at least one set, even against No. 3 Penn State. However, Maryland was never within striking distance in any of the sets to position itself to earn a set victory.
3. Terps were out-blocked 13-1. Up against a very physical team, Maryland was dominated at the net. In a department that the Terps found some success early on in the season, the recent blocking struggles continued. Maryland had a hitting percentage of just 4.3%.
“They have a balanced offense and it’s hard to get anyone set up in good places,” Hughes said. “On the other side, we were out of system a fair amount, and that puts their physicality on full display. We had to find this balance of staying aggressive.”
Wisconsin
Wisconsin authorities put total arrests from clashes at beagle breeding facility at about 25
MADISON (AP) — Around 25 protesters were arrested as around 1,000 animal welfare activists tried to gain entry to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin and were met by officers firing pepper spray and rubber bullets, authorities said Sunday.
Saturday’s protest was the second attempt in as many months by demonstrators to take beagles from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison. They were turned back by officers who arrested the group’s leader.
Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said the situation was “significantly calmer and more peaceful” on Sunday, when around 200 people assembled outside the farm. They dispersed after around two hours, it said.
“We’re pleased with the group’s cooperation today, and their willingness to remain peaceful, while still sending their message of concern for the dogs at Ridglan Farms,” Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement. “We are happy to support anyone who wants to exercise the right to protest, as long as they do so lawfully.”
Owen Ziliak/The Wisconsin State Journal via AP
The sheriff had said in a video statement Saturday that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property.” They tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence.
Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Some got through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Those arrested included the leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, Wayne Hsiung, 44, of New York, who was being held on a tentative felony charge of conspiracy to commit burglary. But most arrestees were just booked and released, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.
“No one should be assaulted for giving aid to a dog, even if damage to property is part of that rescue effort,” Hsuing said in a statement from jail Sunday that also accused authorities of using excessive force. “The animals of this Earth are not “things.” They’re sentient beings. And we have the right to rescue them from abuse,” he concluded.
Protesters took 30 dogs when they broke into the facility in March, when authorities arrested 27 people.
Ridglan denies mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 in a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.
On its website, the company says “no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated.”
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About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
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