Standout transfers and other takeaways from UW-MU spring volleyball match

It was probably confusing for any random passersby of the Al McGuire Center on March 23.

More than 2,000 fans were streaming into Marquette’s on-campus arena, many of them decked out in Wisconsin Badgers gear.

It couldn’t be a non-conference basketball game with March Madness going on … but, wait, isn't there spring volleyball?

Yes, the short college volleyball season is often overlooked. But anyone who stepped inside to watch the match between the state rivals saw lively action with the Badgers earning a 25-13, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21 victory.

“Like a lot of spring matches, there’s going to be a lot to grab onto and sink their teeth in,” UW coach Kelly Sheffield said. “A lot of positive things that every player is going to be able to take.

“And then quite a few things where we’ll be like, all right, let’s work on this the next couple weeks before the next time we play.”

Those fans also got a glimpse of new-look rosters for both teams.

“It wasn’t perfect, and I think Kelly would probably say the same thing on his side,” MU coach Tom Mendoza said. “I think we got better tonight, and hopefully he feels the same way.”

Here are four takeaways:

Wisconsin, Marquette will play volleyball at Fiserv Forum again … but not against each other

The last time UW and MU met was Sept. 17 at the more spacious Fiserv Forum, with the Badgers rolling to an easy victory.

The teams will be back in the arena again next season as part of the the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s season-opening First Serve event.

The field for the four-day showcase features all four of last season’s Final Four participants, including national champion Texas A&M.

UW will face Kentucky on Aug. 21. The teams met in the NCAA Tournament semifinals, with the Wildcats eliminating the Badgers. UW will also play Louisville on Aug. 22.

MU will open its season on Aug. 24 against perennial power Texas.

“We don’t duck opponents,” Mendoza said. “We want to play at the highest level here. We want our players to compete at the highest level.”

Carson Tyler, who transferred to MU after two season at Ball State, will play at Fiserv Forum for the first time.

“They said it’s an incredible atmosphere and a great place to play and definitely something to look forward to,” Tyler said.

Ball State transfer Carson Tyler stands out for Marquette

MU had to replace key hitters in Hattie Bray, now playing with the Grand Rapids Rise of Major League Volleyball, and Natalie Ring, who transferred to national champion Texas A&M.

But Mendoza looks to have found a good replacement in Tyler, who had a match-high 15 kills. The 5-foot-10 Tyler was the Mid-American Conference player of the year last season.

“As good as a volleyball player she is, I think we like her better as a person probably even more,” Mendoza said.

Tyler also has a wicked top-spin serve. She notched two aces against UW.

“I’ve had it for a long time,” Tyler said. “Since I started playing, I would say.

“But I really started doing it last season. Then just kept working on it and just kept getting that consistent hand contact.”

UW has its own standout freshman in Jaela Auguste

The Badgers made a big splash in the transfer portal by bringing in middle blocker Jaela Auguste, who was a third-team All-American as a sophomore at Florida.

She will certainly be a fan favorite next season.

“A lot of highlight swings from her,” Sheffield said. “She’s one of the most dynamic attackers, not only in the country but one of the most dynamic attackers that I’ve coached.”

Auguste had nine kills. Madison Quest, a former DSHA standout, led UW with 10 kills.

“She’s explosive,” Sheffield said of Auguste. “She gets on the ball fast. She gets off the floor fast. She’s competitive.

“She’s feisty, but coachable. Sometimes that combination doesn’t go.”

Standout freshmen include UW’s Halle Thompson and MU’s Caydence Doolan and Allie Beers

Both coaches got to see plenty of their freshmen.

UW’s Halle Thompson has the look of a future star, with the 6-foot outside hitter notching nine kills.

“I thought Halle came out and started with a bang,” Sheffield said. “And really impacted it in a lot of ways. Especially hitting,  early on.”

Three of Mendoza’s freshmen – setter Luanna Markus, outside hitter Caydence Doolan and right-side hitter Allie Beers – enrolled early at MU to play in the spring season. Doolan registered seven kills.

“Allie, she played all four sets but one in the front row,” Mendoza said. “She had an unfortunate [shoulder] injury her senior year [at Slinger High School] that she’s been working back from, working with our athletic training staff and doctors. She’s busted her butt, and it’s great to see her out on the court at all.

“And she’ll get more comfortable on the front row. She’s a very good athlete, one of those kind of unicorn players that she’s really athletic but she’s also a phenomenal passer and defender. So you get that combination of athlete with skill. As she gets more healthy and more confident, I think she’ll do phenomenal things here.

“And then Caydence, she played three rotations in the first set and then she played six rotations the last three sets. She’s obviously a very good volleyball player but she was bringing a level of competitiveness that was really impactful to our team.

“Now they’re all here because they need to learn what works at this level, what doesn’t work at this level and what they need to improve on. There’s going to be some really good days or good swings. And there’s going to be some learning points. We saw all of that in the match tonight.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin and Marquette volleyball teams have standout transfers