MADISON – While Wisconsin volleyball fans witnessed a disappointing five-set loss for the Badgers on Oct. 23, they did experience a heart-warming moral victory.
No, it was not the Game 1 final score in the World Series (although that too fired up the crowd).
Outside hitter Grace Egan – after missing the previous 13 matches with a serious back injury – subbed in to serve the last point of the set. UW fans greeted the moment with a rousing ovation during a set when the Badgers otherwise did not give much to cheer about.
“She was pretty moved by that and pretty emotional afterwards,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “There was a lot of hard work to get back into that, to be able to get out with her teammates in a match.”
That moment and another crowd-pleasing entrance to play briefly in the back row against Michigan have prompted the question of how quickly Egan can return in a more extensive capacity.
“The ability of putting together a two-hour match – I’m not sure we’re quite there, but we’re not that far away from there,” Sheffield said at his Oct. 26 press conference.
Egan hinted at her return on Oct. 22 with a video shared on Instagram with “I’M BACK” overlaying past footage of her running to the court. Sheffield needs to see more from Egan in the practice gym before she is fully back, though.
“She hasn’t been practicing a lot right now,” Sheffield said. “So I think in fairness to her and our team and everything, you got to kind of stack some days in practices to be able to play with freedom and to trust your body and be able to turn it loose. And we’re just in that process.”
That being said, Sheffield has already seen Egan “trusting her body more every day.”
“It wasn’t too many days ago that there was fear, uncertainty – can I trust this?” Sheffield said.“There are certain body parts that when they fail you without notice, it can stay with you a little bit.”
To even be at this point is an accomplishment for Egan considering the severity of the back injury and subsequent recovery. (It was severe enough that she was not on the charter flight with the team to Texas for UW’s Sept. 11-13 nonconference matches.)
“She couldn’t be in the practice gym because she couldn’t stand or sit,” Sheffield said. “She wasn’t traveling with us because she couldn’t sit on a plane in that posture. Couldn’t go to class. … She’s having to do everything online.”
Whenever Egan does fully return to the court, the Badgers will have another proven option at the pin-hitting positions. She averaged 2.27 kills per set in 2025 while hitting .264. Her last 2026 match before getting sidelined with her back injury was a 17-kill performance against then-No. 17 Florida.
UW’s three starters at the pin-hitting positions have been UC-Santa Barbara transfer Eva Travis and star freshmen Decelise Champion and Audrey Flanagan. Champion and Flanagan have taken the Big Ten’s freshman of the week honors five times so far.
“We are a lot better team with [Egan] in our practice gym and her traveling and her on the court and all those things,” Sheffield said.
Latest with Grace Lopez’s injury status
Wisconsin right-side hitter Grace Lopez’s health challenges have continued this season. After missing all of the 2025 season with a knee injury, she has not been 100% healthy in 2026 either. She last appeared in UW’s Oct. 1 win over then-No. 15 Indiana.
“There were some days last week that she had to be out of the practice gym because of some swelling, and we’re having to kind of deal with that a little bit,” Sheffield said. “It’s not allowing her to elevate the way that she’s wanting to. It hasn’t been a straight line for her.”
Sheffield has seen Lopez’s “want-to” stay high, but wanting to be out on the court and actually being on the court obviously are two different things.
“Her body isn’t fully cooperating, and there’s other people that are probably playing a little bit better than her right now on a day-to-day basis as well that play her position.”
Latest with Madison Quest’s injury status
The Badgers also have been without outside hitter Madison Quest. The Pewaukee native previously was seen in a walking boot, but she did not have that on the sideline of the Badgers’ Oct. 25 match against Michigan.
“We talk about little victories, and that’s certainly maybe more than a little victory,” Sheffield said. “That’s a big victory. I think we’re probably days away from her being able to do a little bit more stuff in the gym.”
Sheffield praised Quest as someone who is selfless and “so good for our team and our program.”
“I know it’s been tough for her, but you would never know it because she doesn’t show that,” Sheffield said. “She’s all about the team. And getting her back in the practice gym is going to be good for us.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kelly Sheffield gives update on Grace Egan, other Wisconsin volleyball injuries