Kelly Sheffield believes Wisconsin's five transfer portal departures are 'not an indictment' on the players or the program.
MADISON – Two days after losing in the Final Four and one day after getting back from Kansas City, Kelly Sheffield was spending his Saturday morning in his Kellner Hall office.
“It used to be a time that I was on vacation by now,” said Sheffield, who recently wrapped up his 13th season as Wisconsin’s head volleyball coach. “And that’s certainly not the case right now.”
That is a necessity as Wisconsin volleyball quickly pivots from an inspiring postseason run to a rapid roster-reconstructing phase with transfer portal activity at full tilt.
Five Wisconsin players have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal – setter Addy Horner, outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres, middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska and liberos/defensive specialists Aniya Warren and Maile Chan. Aside from when Horner stepped up during Charlie Fuerbringer’s injury, none of the five had starting roles in 2025.
“Them leaving is not an indictment on them or the program,” Sheffield said in a phone call with the Journal Sentinel. “I care deeply about them and their families, and I would venture to say they loved and appreciated and enjoyed their experiences here. But you could also want more, and I’m good on that.”
Sheffield, who would be surprised by any additional portal departures, views the current reality of transfer portal decisions as “almost a rewiring” of how transfer decisions may have been previously perceived.
“When people transferred even just a handful of years ago – what is wrong?” Sheffield said. “There’s either something wrong with the program, or there’s something wrong with the players, or they’re selfish. And sometimes those things happen.”
But in the case of the five players who departed in the wake of the Final Four loss, Sheffield is unequivocal in saying it’s “not how we have usually thought about transferring.”
“I’ve heard from multiple players since they got in the portal that have said they’ve heard from school X and school Y,” Sheffield said. “What are my thoughts on that? So it’s more collaborative than it’s ever been.”
Sheffield and his staff “totally understand them wanting to get the next phase figured out as quickly as possible.” He does take issue with the NCAA putting the transfer portal window from Dec. 7 to Jan. 5, however, as it overlaps with the second and third weekends of the NCAA tournament.
“What it is an indictment on is the timing of our current portal window,” Sheffield said. “And that’s what kind of makes this an unfortunate situation is the portal has been open for two weeks. … If you’re going to make a move, then things have to happen pretty darn quick. It feels weird that within 24 hours of a Final Four, that people are in the portal. I think everybody wishes that there could be a moment of pause and reflection, but it just doesn’t allow that.”
Wisconsin’s 2025 portal additions worked quite well for the Badgers, as Mimi Colyer was a finalist for AVCA national player of the year while Grace Egan and Alicia Andrew also stepped into starting roles.
As Sheffield and the Wisconsin staff go shopping in the transfer portal ahead of the 2026 season, the Badgers have several positional needs.
Middle blocker already appeared to be a position of need as Carter Booth and Andrew have exhausted their college eligibility. Setter and libero/defensive specialist have also become positions where the Badgers are in need of more depth.
“We’d like to pick up another setter,” Sheffield said. “And Kristen (Simon) is our only backcourt player, as of right now. I would say those would be two, and we'll certainly have our eyes open for some others.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kelly Sheffield is 'extremely supportive’ of 5 Badgers in portal
Category: General Sports
