Wisconsin sets NCAA regular season volleyball attendance record

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - There’s a new record in town.

Wisconsin volleyball set a new NCAA record during its match against No. 16 Florida Friday night for biggest crowd for a regular season match, with 16,833 in attendance at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin and Florida made it to five sets, but Florida ended up pulling out the win.

Danielle Hart and Sarah Franklin were tied for the most kills Friday night, with 10, followed by Julia Orzol, with eight.

The last time a volleyball match was played in the Kohl Center was the 1998 NCAA Championship match on December 12. Long Beach State defeated Penn State, 3-2, in the title match in front of 13,194 fans, a then-NCAA attendance record.

The Badgers were looking to break the NCAA regular-season attendance record of 15,797, set at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 7, 2022 when Nebraska beat Creighton, 3-2. The Kohl Center seats more than 17,000 fans for men’s and women’s basketball.

The Badgers usually play in the Wisconsin Field House, where the capacity is set at over 7,500.

Senior setter Izzy Ashburn said ahead of the match that the team was excited to play at the Kohl Center.

“We’re going to be us wherever we go, we’re just excited to have our home crowd out there,” Ashburn said. “It’s going to be electric.”

New UW Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin served as honorary team captain for Friday night’s game, and fans were encouraged to wear red for a “Red Out.”

The Badgers headed into the match against Florida on a four-game win streak, after defeating No. 24 Marquette, High Point, No. 14 Kentucky and Campbell.

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