MADISON Lauren Carlini was almost right.The former Wisconsin volleyball star and current assistant coach confidently predicted a 4-0 alumni sweep over the current players in the Aug. 8 alumni match, and she would be mad if its anything else.She was right about the first two sets and the last one. However, the current Badgers came away with winning one set in their 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25 loss at the UW Field House in fans first chance to see the 2026 group play.Far more importantly, the Badgers came away with a learning experience and an experience full of joy from the time with former players on and off the court.It is really, really rare, I would say, to get into a match where both teams are leaving it out on the court, both teams are having a blast, both teams leave the match having a blast, Sheffield said.Here were three takeaways from the exhibition:Audrey Flanagan impresses against accomplished competitionIn a match against an alumni team with 11 current professionals, two Olympians and four college national champions, freshman outside hitter Audrey Flanagan stole the show in many ways.Flanagan finished with a match-high 17 kills while hitting .316. The third set was particularly eye-opening, as the freshman racked up nine kills more than the rest of her team combined in the current Badgers lone set win.All props to Charlie [Fuerbringer]; she was really giving me an open net, Flanagan said. It felt great to be on a roll and have everything clicking, especially versus these crazy players.As much as Flanagan tried to deflect credit, though, Fuerbringer gave it right back to her.Audrey does a really good job of just staying steady and moving on to the next play and finding ways to win, Fuerbringer said. She wants to win, and I think she shows that in her play.Flanagan also earned the respect of one of Wisconsins outside-hitting greats, as 2023 AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Franklin witnessed the performance from the other side of the net.That cut shot that shes getting to oh my gosh, Franklin said. Thats going to be absolutely gnarly. I can just tell. And you can tell that she just has a really good touch on the ball and a feel on the ball, so watching her grow over her college career is going to be super, super exciting.Sarah Franklin, Mimi Colyer test Wisconsins defenseA young Wisconsin roster and particularly its back row had a tall task against Franklin and 2025 All-American Mimi Colyer, among other former UW stars.Franklin and Colyer unsurprisingly put up good numbers against their alma mater. Colyer had a team-high 12 kills, and Franklin had 11. Franklin particularly seemed to give the alumni a spark when she subbed back in during the fourth set amid a 15-12 deficit at the time.But Wisconsins back row also defended well enough to hold the alumni to a .218 hitting percentage. One of Franklins three kills in the fourth set finished off a particularly long rally, bringing much of the Field House crowd to its feet.I felt like every time I hit, Id get it around the block, but thered be some one-hand touch and another one-hand, and they would just be up and keep the rally going, Franklin said.Wisconsin accentuated its defense later in the match with the use of a defensive specialist Kristen Simon when Anna Bardaro was the libero in the third set and vice versa in the fourth set.I think their ball control is going to be pretty gnarly, alum setter Sydney Hilley said. When they had the lineup with Kristen, Anna and Audrey back there, I was like, Wow, they are just passing dimes over and over again.Wisconsin holds its own despite missing key piecesWisconsins 3-1 loss to the alumni and a group that almost entirely still plays professionally comes with the consolation that the Badgers remained largely competitive despite not being at full strength.Middle blocker Jaela Auguste and outside hitter Halle Thompson did not play. Sheffield said ahead of the match that their limitations were a matter of keeping them healthy. UW backup setter Morgan Van Wie also was unavailable.The absence of a third-team All-American such as Auguste has an obvious impact, and Thompson was PrepDigs No. 2 overall recruit in the 2026 class.They have so much depth, and we didnt get to see some players play because theyre hurt or whatever, Hilley said. But I think theres a lot of depth and things that they can mix up and be versatile with.Right-side hitter Grace Lopez played exclusively in the back row (while recording one attack from there). Simply Lopezs ability to play was a milestone in itself after she missed more than a year with a knee injury.Butler exhibition up nextLopez, Auguste and the Badgers will likely have an easier task next as they face Butler in an exhibition on Aug. 14 at the Field House. The Bulldogs are coming off a 12-17 season, which included a 5-11 record in Big East matches.The current Badgers will go into the Butler exhibition and all the regular season matches that will follow with a strong endorsement from the former Badgers who got the better of them at the Field House.I just have a lot of pride, Hilley said. Theyre carrying the program the way that it should be. You can tell how much they love each other and the game and how hard they compete. So Im really excited for whats going to come for them.This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Audrey Flanagan stars in joyful Wisconsin volleyball alumni match