Wisconsin signed four players for its class of 2025, with signees joining from 4 different states.
The Wisconsin Badgers announced their signing class 2025 as Head Coach Kelly Sheffield and his staff look to re-load.
UW has a senior-laden team this year, with Sarah Franklin, Julia Orzoł, Anna Smrek, CC Crawford, Carter Booth, and Carly Anderson out of eligibility at the end of the season, so the Badgers are taking on a big freshman class this season — and a highly touted one at that.
Here are the signees joining the Badgers:
Addy Horner
6-foot-3 | Setter/Right Side | Wheaton, Ill.
Addy Horner gives an intriguing option for Wisconsin, coming in with a versatile skill set from the jump.
Listed by various recruiting services as a Top 25 player in the country, Horner played her club volleyball, 1st Alliance Volleyball Club, a powerhouse in the Chicagoland area that also produced Badger greats Dana Rettke and Lauren Barnes. At her high school, St. Francis, she was the first player in school history to tally 1,000 assists and 1,000 kills.
Horner is considered the second-best player in Illinois and racked up a lot of All-American honors last season.
In announcing the signing, Sheffield said Horner could either set or hit for UW and compared her skill set to former Badger Courtney Thomas. She is also expected to graduate early and be on campus in January.
“Addy is a really unique player in that she can help us in a lot of different ways,” Sheffield said.
Kristen Simon
5-foot-7 | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Louisville, Ken.
A signing from the Bluegrass State, Sheffield believes Kristen Simon has the chance to be “one of the top liberos” in the sport.
“She is one of the hardest workers and self-starters that I’ve seen,” Sheffield said. “She reads the game well but also has the athleticism and fierceness to make the tough plays.”
Simon is ranked as a Top 25 recruit by PrepVolleyball.com and the top player in Kentucky for her class. She helped lead her team to a state championship in 2023 and was named defensive player of the year last season as well.
She adds to what should be a deep backcourt for UW next year, which returns all its defensive specialists.
Madison Quest
6-foot-3 | Outside hitter | Pewaukee, Wis.
A Badger legacy whose parents were both athletes at UW, Quest is the top-ranked player in Wisconsin and is ranked in the Top 25 nationally.
The future Badger helped lead her high school, Divine Savior Holy Angels, to three state championships while being named a finalist for the Class of 2025 National Player of the Year.
As a Wisconsinite who grew up cheering for the Badgers, Quest will get to call the Field House home and could help inspire a new generation of young volleyball fans.
“I chose the University of Wisconsin because of the outstanding sense of community, tradition, and excellence it represents,” Quest said.
Sheffield also said that Quest will graduate early and join the team in January.
Natalie Wardlow
6-foot-4 | Middle blocker | Lincoln, Neb.
Going into “enemy territory” for this signing, Natalie Wardlow is a middle blocker from Nebraska that Sheffield believes could be one of the top middles for the Class of 2025.
“She is driven to be really good and will put the work in to reach her goals,” Sheffield said.
Wardlow is rated as the second-best player in Nebraska and is a Top 25 ranked recruit nationally as well. Wardlow was twice named as an All-American in her high school career at Lincoln Southeast High School.
She should have a chance to play early for Wisconsin as a number of UW’s attacking pieces will graduate next year.
Congratulations to all the new signings.