Top Team Falls, Contenders Tested on Day 2 of AVCA First Serve

The second day of the AVCA First Serve featured another pair of high-profile matchups as teams began making their first impressions of the 2026 season.

Dec 18, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers libero/defensive specialist Kristen Simon (7) celebrates after a point during the fourth set against the Kentucky Wildcats in a 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinal match at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The second day of the AVCA First Serve Showcase was filled with mind-bending plays, insane athleticism and even an upset.

After Friday's opening slate set the tone for the 2026 season, Saturday offered another look at teams expected to factor heavily into the national picture.

Wisconsin and Louisville opened the day before Texas and Arizona State took center stage in the nightcap.

No. 6 Wisconsin Claims An Assertive Victory Over No. 7 Louisville

Wisconsin did not take time to sulk about its 3-0 loss to Kentucky on Friday. Instead, the Badgers found the fuel and dominated all three sets over Louisville, 25-18, 25-20 and 25-18.

Despite having three freshmen in the starting rotation, the Badgers blasted kill after kill against the Cardinals, many thanks to freshman outside hitter Audrey Flanagan.

Bringing the energy ✨#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/Oa7fulRNSx

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) August 22, 2026

Flanagan sprayed Louisville's defense with balls from all different directions, registering 13 kills and two service aces in her second collegiate start.

"I want to give her as much confidence as I can," Wisconsin junior setter Charlie Fuerbringer said. "I've been doing this, and this is literally her second college match ever; she was just playing high school a couple months ago."

It was all tied up, 5-5 in the first set, but a kill by Flanagan fired up the Badgers, while the Cardinals couldn't keep up. After building up a 24-15 advantage, it seemed like a given that Wisconsin would take the first set, but Louisville refused to give up, going on a three-point run before a kill by Flanagan ended the first-set comeback dream.

By the time the second set began, Wisconsin seemed to have its rhythm down with a 11-5 lead. However, the second set was eerily similar to the first, with the Cardinals gaining some late momentum. But, just like the first set, the Badgers were too far ahead and secured the win 25-20.

With the confidence of the first two sets, Wisconsin took the court and put away the final set efficiently. While Louisville claimed the first point, fans inside Fiserv Forum could see the writing on the wall when Wisconsin went up 17-11.

First SWEEP of the season! 🧹#OnWisconsin || @UWHealth pic.twitter.com/uWP6qIWEld

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) August 22, 2026

A service error by Louisville at match point No. 2 was what did the Cardinals in. Instead of leaving with two victories, both teams depart Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with split records.

No. 12 Arizona State Upsets No. 2 Texas In Four Sets

Arizona State wasted little time making an early-season statement.

The Sun Devils upset No. 2 Texas, 3-1. Hope wasn't lost in the third set, but any belief in a comeback was quickly dashed by a 25-18 cleanup by Arizona State.

The Sun Devils took each of the first two sets, 25-17, behind an efficient and balanced offensive attack. Junior outside hitter Una Vajagić, senior opposite hitter Noemie Glover and sophomore outside hitter Maéva Schalk combined to give Texas problems across the net and limited its ability to establish any offensive rhythm.

Arizona State hit an overall .273 compared with Texas' .123. The Longhorns' fourth-set hitting percentage, a -.040, reveals their struggles to defend and follow up with an attack.

S1 | BIG dig from Faith and Una with the KILL!

📺: FS1#ForksUp pic.twitter.com/vycSB9Czh7

— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) August 22, 2026

A thorn in Texas' side was its inability to get the ball into play. Throughout the game, the Longhorns committed 17 service errors while only registering three service aces, all in the first set. Comparatively, Arizona State committed just eight service errors while dishing out five service aces.

Even though three Longhorns clocked nine kills apiece, they weren't able to match the Sun Devils' top players with 13, 12 and 10 kills.

While Arizona State hit a brief plateau in the third set, allowing Texas to register a .310 kill rate with 11 digs, the Sun Devils regained control in the fourth set and closed out the match on their third set point.

The result was also a reversal from the teams' meeting a season ago. Texas swept Arizona State at Gregory Gym in September 2025 and entered Saturday holding an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series.

This time, the Sun Devils walked away with the win.