UW Madison Women's Volleyball Adjusts Roster in Response to New NCAA Eligibility Rules

by Dana Carranza, age 13

The Wisconsin women's volleyball team recently unveiled position changes in response to new NCAA eligibility rules. The new age-based eligibility rules establish a single five-year eligibility period tied to age and college enrollment. These rules replace those that counted seasons of competition, included multiple waiver options and varied by sport.

UW Madison Women's Volleyball Coach, Kelly Sheffield explained his stance on the National Collegiate Athletic Association's new five-year eligibility model, saying he has advocated for the model for a long time and that the NCAA should strive to eliminate waivers and lawsuits.

Grace Lopez, is a player on the Badgers women's volleyball team. An All-American honorable mention, Lopez was expected to be an ideal right-side hitter for the Badgers after transferring from the University of Miami following the 2024 season. But she suffered an injury during a spring 2025 trip, and missed the entire 2025 season because of a knee injury. She has made significant progress in her recovery and the 2026-27 season will mark her Badgers debut.

Lopez plays a big role for the Badgers alongside Grace Egan, Madison Quest, Eva Travis, Decelise Champion, Audrey Flanagan and Halle Thompson.

Egan also faced an injury that sidelined her, but it was short-term. Coach Sheffield described Egan's recovery as a long-term process so she could recover without pressure. Egan is an Ohio State transfer who filled in for Lopez as a right-side hitter and finished the season with a high hitting percentage.

Sheffield's updates on Egan and Lopez were based on the first four practices of the preseason and came just in time for UW's 2026 season opener against Kentucky.

UW explains how the rules affect each class's years of eligibility for players who have not redshirted or sat out a season. Each class can theoretically play an extra year or two. Sheffield says the rules could make roster building difficult because he is not interested in telling a player about a last-minute change. The only uncertain roster change is the five-on-five model, which changes faster than the high school recruiting cycle.

Meanwhile, UW lost six players after the 2025 season alone. Losing that many players can heavily affect how well the team plays, but fans are hopeful that UW volleyball will bounce back.

[Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; NCAA]