Wisconsin volleyball is set to begin its 2025 NCAA Tournament quest on Thursday evening, as it plays host to the Eastern Illinois Panthers.
The Badgers went 24-4 during the 2025 season, earning a No. 3-seed in the tournament bracket. The team enters the postseason ranked No. 11 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index, trailing Texas A&M, Louisville, SMU, Stanford, Creighton, Pittsburgh, Arizona State, Kentucky, Texas and Nebraska, respectively. The Badgers went 0-2 against those top teams during the regular season, falling to both Texas and Nebraska.
Eastern Illinois enters Thursday as the RPI’s No. 111 overall team. Wisconsin, which has advanced past the opening rounds every year since head coach Kelly Sheffield took over in 2013, will be expected to win decisively.
The winner of that first-round match will move on to face the winner of North Carolina and UTEP, who are set to square off at the UW Field House earlier Thursday afternoon.
As the hours count down until Wisconsin begins its 2025 NCAA Tournament slate, here is how to watch the first-round action.
Wisconsin volleyball vs. Eastern Illinois NCAA Tournament first-round match: TV channel, tip time
Date: Thursday, Dec. 4
TV Channel: ESPN+ (streaming only)
Location: UW Field House
Start Time:Â 30 minutes after the conclusion of North Carolina vs. UTEP, which starts at 5:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. CT
The Badgers and Panthers will likely tip off around 8:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. CT. Officially, the match will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of UNC vs. UTEP, which is set to start at 5:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. CT. This post will be updated further as the specific start time becomes clear.
Where to watch the Wisconsin-Eastern Illinois NCAA Tournament volleyball match on livestream
Wisconsin-Eastern Illinois will be available exclusively via streaming on ESPN+.
Watch Wisconsin vs. Eastern Illinois on ESPN+
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