Texas ends Wisconsin’s season in the national semifinals
Wisconsin’s push for a second national title in three years came to an end Thursday night in Tampa at the hands of Texas.
The defending champs were dominant much of the night in a four-set victory. After the teams split the first two sets (22-25, 25-20), the Longhorns owned the final two sets to advance. They went on an 11-0 run in the third to win 25-13 and followed that up with a 10-1 run in the fourth on the way to a 25-16 victory.
The Badgers had little answer for Madisen Skinner and Asjia O’Neal. The duo combined for 29 kills, more than half of what Texas had for the game. Wisconsin hurt itself with 11 service errors, while the Longhorns had 11 aces.
Sarah Franklin had one of her toughest nights, finishing with 13 kills but also hitting at just a .163 clip for the game. Anna Smrek also had 13 kills, while Temi Thomas-Ailara had nine.
Wisconsin finished the season 30-4 on the year.
Texas will face Big Ten champion Nebraska in the national title game on Sunday.