No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball falls to Kentucky in season opener

No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball opened the 2026 season with a straight-sets loss to No. 3 Kentucky, falling 20-25, 24-26, 18-25 at the AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee. The Wildcats hit .380 and outblocked the Badgers 10-5, while Wisconsin managed just a .186 attack percentage in Friday’s Fiserv Forum matchup.

Key Takeaways

• No. 3 Kentucky swept No. 6 Wisconsin 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-18) in the season opener at Fiserv Forum.
• Kentucky hit .380 with 43 kills and only eight errors; Wisconsin finished at .186 with 21 attack errors.
• Brooklyn DeLeye (12 kills) and Morgan Gaerte (10) led UK; Eva Travis paced the Badgers with 13 kills.
• Wisconsin volleyball faces No. 7 Louisville on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on FOX; Kentucky meets No. 4 Pittsburgh on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The loss dropped the Badgers to 0-1 (0-0 Big Ten) and moved them to 4-6 all-time against the Wildcats. Kentucky improved to 1-0 (0-0 SEC) in its first match of the year, according to UWBadgers.com.

How did No. 3 Kentucky beat Wisconsin volleyball?

Kentucky never trailed in the first set and closed 25-20 behind a .448 attack percentage. The Wildcats’ front line forced Wisconsin into early digs, then sealed the frame when Morgan Gaerte stuffed a left-side swing at set point.

Set two stayed tighter. Wisconsin led for much of the frame before a late Kentucky push and a successful challenge flipped momentum. Lizzie Carr hammered an overpass for the 26-24 winner as UK hit .417 with 17 kills and just two errors.

In the third, Kentucky jumped ahead 8-4 and stretched the lead to 18-13 on DeLeye’s ace. A Badger hitting error ended the night at 25-18. Overall, Kentucky outblocked Wisconsin 10-5 and held Bucky to a .186 hitting percentage, as detailed by UKAthletics.com.

Who stood out for Wisconsin volleyball and Kentucky?

Outside hitter Eva Travis led Wisconsin with 13 kills and three blocks. Freshman Audrey Flanagan added nine kills in her collegiate debut stretch, while middle blocker Lynney Tarnow posted eight kills and two blocks on 14 attempts with one error. Junior Jaela Auguste hit .429 (7-1-14).

For Kentucky, Brooklyn DeLeye finished with 12 kills and Morgan Gaerte added 10. Middle blocker Lizzie Carr hit .571 with eight kills and no errors on 14 swings. Setter Kassie O’Brien distributed 33 assists with four blocks, and libero Molly Tuozzo logged a team-high 12 digs without being aced in 23 serve-receive attempts.

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Where can you watch Wisconsin volleyball next?

Wisconsin returns Saturday, Aug. 22, against No. 7 Louisville in day two of the AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT and will be televised on FOX.

Kentucky sits Saturday out and plays No. 4 Pittsburgh on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both rematches keep the early national picture in focus after a top-10 opener that went Kentucky’s way in three.

For Wisconsin volleyball, the takeaway is clear: cleaner swinging and fewer of the 21 attack errors that fueled Kentucky’s precision will be essential when the Badgers meet Louisville on national TV.