Six Badgers Earn All-Big Ten Honors

MADISON, Wis. – A total of six players of the Wisconsin volleyball team earned All-Big Ten honors, announced Tuesday afternoon by the league conference. Carter Booth, Sarah Franklin, Charlie Fuerbringer, Julia Orzol, Lola Schumacher, and Anna Smrek all earned post-season honors. For a second season in a row, outside hitter Sarah Franklin was named Big Ten Volleyball Player of the Year.

Both Sarah Franklin and Anna Smrek were named First Team All-Big Ten. Carter Booth, Charlie Fuerbringer , and Julia Orzol were named to the Second Team, while both Fuerbringer and Lola Schumacher were named to the All-Freshman team. Orzol also earned All-Sportsmanship.

This season, fifth year senior Sarah Franklin improved in nearly every statistic from a season ago in which she was also named Big Ten Player of the Year. In conference play, Franklin totaled 308 kills for an average of 4.40 kills per set, while hitting .306 (308 – 69 – 780). In every Big Ten match, Franklin recorded double-figure kill totals, including nine 15+ kill matches, and two 20+ kill matches. As a six-rotation player, Franklin also chipped in with 2.14 digs per set and totaled four double-doubles (kills and digs) in conference play. The six-foot-four outside hitter was also named Big Ten Player of the Week three times this season. This marks her fourth season as a First Team All-Big Ten honoree, and becomes the only player in program history to earn Big Ten Player of the Year. Franklin also becomes just the sixth player in Big Ten Volleyball to earn multiple awards as B1G Player of the Year. Marianne Smith of Purdue in 1984 and 1985; Mary Eggers of Illinois in 1986, 1987, 1988; Bonnie Bremner of Penn State in 1997 and 1998; Stacey Gordon of Ohio State in 2002 and 2004; Megan Hodge of Penn State in 2006 and 2009, and the last to win two POY awards, Stephanie Samedy of Minnesota in 2020 and 2021.

Also for a second season in a row, senior Anna Smrek was named First Team All-Big Ten. Smrek averaged just under three kills per set at 2.99 and totaled 209 kills in conference play, while hitting .317 (209 – 62 – 464). The six-foot-nine opposite also totaled 94 blocks for an average of 1.34 blocks per set (4^th in the B1G). This season, Smrek totaled 13 double-figure kill totals while 11 of them were hit against Big Ten opponents. This is Smrek’s second season as First Team All-Big…