No. 6 Wisconsin’s unbeaten home run ended Friday night in the UW Field House, where the Badgers lost to No. 21 Washington in five sets and took their first home defeat of the season. The match swung 25-20, 25-27, 25-21, 18-25 and 16-18, leaving Wisconsin at 13-6 overall and 7-2 in conference play.
For Decelise Champion, the loss came with a performance that kept Wisconsin in the fight. She tied her career high with 20 kills and added 11 digs, while Audrey Flanagan had 15 kills and 11 digs. Charlie Fuerbringer reached 3,000 career assists and matched her season high with 55 assists for the second straight match, adding 17 digs in a night that also saw Natalie Wardlow serve two aces in the first set.
The Badgers had enough stretches to take control, but not enough to finish it. Washington answered after Wisconsin won the third set 25-21 with an 8-3 run, then closed the fourth set 25-18 while hitting.500 as Wisconsin hit.275. That left the fifth set in a narrow window, and Washington edged it 18-16 after Wisconsin had the chance to put the match away but could not turn the final points into a stop. Wisconsin’s freshmen combined for nine kills in that set, another sign the home side was close even as the last margin stayed just out of reach.
Kelly Sheffield said Wisconsin’s offense was strong and praised Champion’s courage, while also pointing out that Washington simply made the bigger plays by a couple of points. The result was Wisconsin’s first home loss after a 7-0 start at Field House, a reminder that the Badgers can push a ranked opponent for five sets and still be left with the harder lesson of how quickly a match can slip once the closing points turn against them. Champion called it a learning experience, and Wisconsin will have to carry that into the next stretch after a loss that was decided by inches, not by effort.
