Wisconsin Sets NCAA Volleyball Attendance Record Against Florida

The Badgers and Gators delivered a five-set thriller to a massive crowd at the Kohl Center.

Playing in the Kohl Center–home of the school’s basketball teams–for the first time in 24 years, the Wisconsin volleyball team set a NCAA regular-season attendance record with 16,833 fans in the building to watch the No. 4 Badgers take on 16th-ranked Florida on Friday night. 

The largely pro-Wisconsin crowd was raucous throughout the evening and certainly got the chance to watch high-quality play. The match spanned five sets and lasted two hours and 41 minutes before the Gators finally sealed the win, 25–21, 25–18, 26–28, 25–13, 15–13.

“What a special environment this was,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “At some point down the road, this will be a night that our players will never forget. To be able to play and people stand the entire time, lifting us up when we need it, that is what we’ve come to expect from Badger fans. It was just a really special environment.”

Definitely some empty seats but an INSANE crowd for #4 Wisconsin vs. #16 Florida pic.twitter.com/iWUGVnfsOE

— Abby Schnable (@AbbySchnable) September 17, 2022

Florida improved to 9–2 with the win, while Wisconsin dropped to 5–2. The Badgers will look to get back on track in their final nonconference match of the season Sunday against Rhode Island.

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