By badgerstripes
Only four teams remain in the 2023 college volleyball season, and for the fourth time in the past five years, the Wisconsin Badgers are once again in that group.
Before they face off against a very talented Texas team on Dec. 14 in the Final Four, meet the players who helped the Wisconsin volleyball team get here.
#0 Sydney Reed
Senior
Libero
5’6?
Glenelg, Maryland
Transfer from North Carolina
2022 and 2023 Academic All-Big Ten, played in seven matches in 2023
#1 Joslyn Boyer
Graduate student
Libero
5’6?
Downers Grove, Illinois
Transfer from Iowa
2020, 2022, 2023 Academic All-Big Ten, played in 18 matches in 2023
#3 Saige Damrow
Freshman
Libero
5’8?
Howards Grove, Wisconsin
Ranked No. 2 libero in country by PrepVolleyball out of high school
Made USA U17 and U18 Training Team in high school
#6 MJ Hammill
Senior
Setter
6’2?
Greenwood, Indiana
2021, 2022, 2023 Academic All-Big Ten, 2023 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
Played in 30 matches averaging over 5 assists per set in 2023
#7 Gabby McCaa
Graduate student
Middle Blocker
6’3?
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Transfer from Boston College
Played in four games in 2023, recorded her first kill as a Badger against Iowa on Nov. 25
#9 CC Crawford
Senior
Middle Blocker
6’3?
Lansing, Kansas
Transferred from Kansas after Junior year
2021 AVCA All-Midwest Region and All-Big 12 Second Team
#10 Devyn Robinson
Senior
Middle Blocker/Right Side Hitter
6’2?
Ankeny, Iowa
Reached 1,000 career kills this year, ranks third on the team in kills per set
2020 NCAA Championship All-Tournament, 2020/2022 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2021/2023 Second-Team All-Big Ten
#11 Izzy Ashburn, captain
Fifth-year graduate student
Setter
5’11”
Dayton, Minnesota
2020, 2021 and 2022 Academic All-Big Ten
Ranks second on UW career record list with 0.39 service aces per set; ranks second with 158 total aces
#12 Temi Thomas-Ailara
5th year Graduate student
Outside Hitter
6’2?
Glenwood, Illinois
Transfer from Northwestern
2020, 2021, 2022 First-Team All-Big Ten, undisputed greatest player in Northwestern history
#13 Sarah Franklin
Senior
Outside Hitter
6’4?
Lake Worth, Florida
Transferred from Michigan State after her sophomore year
2021 First-Team All-Big Ten at MSU, 2023 Big Ten Player of the Year, 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten
#14 Anna Smrek
Junior
Middle Blocker/Right Side Hitter
6’9?
Welland, Ontario
Tallest woman to ever play for the Badgers. Second on the team in kills per set, second on the team in kill percentage
MVP of the 2021 NCAA Championship, 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten
#17 Ella Wroebel
Sophomore
Outside Hitter
6’4?
Plainfield, Illinois
Ranked No. 11 in the country by PrepVolleyball out of high school
Played in nine matches in 2023
#21 Gülce Güçtekin
Sophomore
Libero
5’5?
Istanbul, Turkey
Has only missed three matches in her career
Ranks second on the team with 2.53 digs per set, and is undoubtedly the emotional spark plug of the team.
#22 Julia Orzol
Junior
Libero/Outside Hitter
6’0?
Olsztyn, Poland
First ever Badger signee from Poland
2023 NCAA Regional All-Tournament, 2022 AVCA All-Region, 2022 Second-Team All-Big Ten
#52 Carter Booth
Sophomore
Middle Blocker
6’7?
Denver, Colorado
Transferred from Minnesota after freshman year
2022, 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 Big Ten All-Freshman Team and 2023 NCAA Regional All-Tournament
Badger Stripes is a sports news organization that provides in-depth coverage of Wisconsin athletics. Follow us on Facebook.
