MADISON – Mimi Colyer saw a fan with tears streaming down her face during the Wisconsin Badgers’ senior day festivities and gave her a hug. Fellow senior Jada Cerniglia did the same.
“You get those kinds of reactions when you inspire people,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “One of the things we talked about downstairs is you get inspired by the quality of your character and how you play the game. And I think people can see this team is getting better and better every week.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe post-match moment of inspiration followed an inspiring performance from Wisconsin’s star outside hitter. Colyer had 23 kills without any attack errors and hit .605 as the Badgers blew past Iowa, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19, on Nov. 23 at the UW Field House in their fifth consecutive sweep.
“Those are video game numbers,” Sheffield said. “Those are things you just don’t see very much.”
Here are three takeaways from the win on senior day:
Mimi Colyer’s masterful performance was uniquely special amid special season with Badgers
While the Wisconsin volleyball record book has not tracked which Badgers have recorded the most kills or attacks without any errors, Colyer’s performance appears to be uniquely special in a program that has seen many special moments.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDana Rettke had 17 kills on 23 total attacks without any attack errors against Iowa in 2018, and Devyn Robinson had 17 kills on 25 total attacks without any attack errors against Michigan in 2022.
But neither performance matches Colyer’s volume of 38 total attacks in her flawless performance.
Aside from a short serve in the second set, Sheffield thought it was “as close to a brilliant match as you could have.”
“And this is a Big Ten opponent,” Sheffield said. “That’s against a really good team.”
It was the latest special moment in what has been a special senior season for Colyer since transferring from Oregon. She has 5.37 kills per set, which ranks third nationally. Her 312 kills in Big Ten play surpassed Sarah Franklin’s 308 last year for a program record in the 25-point rally scoring era.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore than just Mimi Colyer making big impact in attack
While Colyer obviously delivered the headline-grabbing performance, several others also thrived against the Hawkeyes in what turned out to be an offensive clinic.
Grace Egan finished with 12 kills – the most for her since she had 14 against Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 – while hitting .556.
“A really, really solid match for her,” Sheffield said. “She’s such an important player for us with all the different ways that she impacts a game.”
Carter Booth had eight kills and hit .583. She fittingly had the last kill on Wisconsin’s senior day to wrap up the three-set sweep.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUna Vajagic and Alicia Andrew had seven and six kills, respectively, albeit without the same efficiency as Booth or Egan. Even setter Charlie Fuerbringer had four kills while hitting .667.
Wisconsin hit .510 – the highest in a Big Ten match in program history. (The only two matches with higher hitting percentages were against Savannah State in 2012 and San Diego in 2018.)
“We were passing really well,” Colyer said. “I think we were able to get a lot of our team involved. We’re starting to get our middles involved more and more. And the more that everyone else gets involved, the more it opens me up and the more I’m able to be successful.”
Mimi Colyer (15), seen in a previous match this season, had 23 kills without any attack errors and hit .605 in a victory over Iowa on Nov. 23 at the UW Field House.Jada Cerniglia experiences unforgettable moment on senior day
Wisconsin libero/defensive specialist Jada Cerniglia had a memorable second set.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCerniglia – a Cross Plains native who had only appeared briefly in one set for UW before senior day – entered the match in the second set as a substitute for libero Kristen Simon. She then served in a rally that ended with a Wisconsin point.
“When I got put in to serve and I heard everybody cheering, it’s something that I will never forget,” Cerniglia said. “It was the coolest thing ever.”
That’s not to mention her memorable experience before the match as UW announced her in the starting lineup in addition to Simon.
“Well, first, when I got to put the ‘bro jersey on and start, that was a cool thing, so let’s just not skip over that,” Cerniglia said amid a question about her serve that led to a Wisconsin point. “I kind of blacked out. … I think I smiled and waved pretty good.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCerniglia transferred to Wisconsin after four seasons at Northern Illinois. In her most recent season with the Huskies, she appeared in 34 matches and 14 sets and averaged 1.35 digs per set.
“Looking back on my four years at NIU and then my very short time here, I just can’t help but be thankful for everything that I’ve experienced throughout my entire career,” Cerniglia said.
Cerniglia joined Colyer, Booth and Andrew as the four seniors honored after the match at the Field House – and honored in front of what appeared, especially in one case, to be an inspired crowd.
“She’s hysterically crying for the senior class and Wisconsin volleyball,” Colyer said. “I think it really captures what Wisconsin volleyball is and what it means to people. There’s not a lot of programs in the country that make people feel that type of way.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mimi Colyer's elite day leads Wisconsin to volleyball sweep over Iowa
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