Freshman Anna Smrek chose the NCAA semi-final to have her national coming-out party. The 18 year old from Welland, Ontario led the Wisconsin Badgers to a thrilling five set victory over top-seeded and previously undefeated Louisville. Smrek recorded her 20th kill on match point in front of an electrified crowd of fans at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio – and sealed her team’s spot in Saturday’s Championship Final.
“We certainly didn’t say this to her but that was something that the coaching staff was discussing right before the match, is we thought this was set up to be — that Anna was going to have a really big night. How she’s been going about things practice-wise,” remarked Wisconsin’s Head Coach Kelly Sheffield, following the victory.
Smrek’s best match prior to the semi-finals was a high of 12 kills at Nebraska. In Thursday’s big game she got her 20 kills on 27 swings, as she made just one hitting error and hit .704.
The young middle blocker is a dominating force at the net – standing at a staggering 6 ft 9 inches tall. In fact, Smrek is the tallest female player to ever suit up for the Badgers. A grad of Notre Dame College School in Welland and a former star for the Defensa volleyball club – Smrek also has international playing experience, having suited up with the Canadian Youth National Team for a number of summers.
She’s a player that Canadian Senior Women’s Team head coach Shannon Winzer is keeping a close eye on from north of the border. Winzer watched the semi-final win and was thrilled to see the first-year step display that kind of composure in such a moment of pressure.
“Anna was unstoppable in the semi-final game. To see her step up on a big stage like that and in big moments just shows you how much of a competitor she is,” said Winzer. “Anna is one of the many exciting young players from a very talented age group. The future is very bright for women’s volleyball in Canada.”
The Badgers now advance to Saturday night’s NCAA women’s volleyball title match against Nebraska. Nebraska beat third-seeded Pittsburgh in their semifinal in four sets, to reach the final for the 10th time (they are five time national champs). The Badgers were last in the Championship final back in 2019, when they lost to Stanford.
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