The silence of the UW Field House crowd explodes with fire as the Silent Set vs Michigan on October 5 is over – and who else to deliver the final ace but setter Addy Horner?
When star sophomore Charlie Fuerbringer went down early in set one in the Michigan game, Horner stepped in unphased. In that game alone, Horner had 35 assists and seven digs, fitting right into the rotation.
Horner, a 6-foot-3 freshman from Wheaton, Illinois, said she chose Wisconsin because “the fan base and atmosphere in the Field House is unlike any other gym in the country.” The response after the silent set, broken by her ace, proves her point.
In Fuerbringer’s absence, Horner has started at setter 10 times this season, and each game has led to season highs. The 3-0 win against UCLA accumulated three of her six career highs. Horner had four kills on six attempts, eight points and four total blocks against the Bruins, showcasing her versatility as a setter.
Head coach Kelly Sheffield praised Horner’s fast development after the Badgers’ game against UCLA. “That’s three matches where she has started for us, and I think each match she’s been better than the previous one,” Sheffield said. “And that’s what you want to see… She’s just going out there and playing good volleyball.”
The UCLA game also showed what Horner adds to the Wisconsin backcourt. She has the ability to add in quick dumps and as Sheffield put it, “freed up the pins.”
She helped facilitate a .267 hitting percentage, the highest of any Big Ten team this season, in Wisconsin’s win against the Bruins. The Badgers know when to step up, and show their strong, crisp skills time and time again.
On Nov. 5, Wisconsin beat their border battle rival No. 22 Minnesota at the Field House, and Horner made her presence known. In an incredibly back and forth game, Horner was the start of a 4-0 run in the second set to put the Badgers up 2-0 in the match. She kept the Gophers discombobulated on defense and went for a career high four service aces.
Middle back Carter Booth commended Horner for her efforts against the Golden Gophers.
“Any scoring of points, especially in that way — she had one where the court kind of just really opened up and the ball dropped uncontested… it helps build that momentum to finish strong and close it out really well," Booth said.
Fuerbringer returned for Wisconsin’s most recent win against No. 18 Indiana after missing 36 days with a shoulder injury. But Horner didn’t go quietly, recording a block that helped secure the first set for Wisconsin. Horner showed she can take a backseat role and still make an impact on all aspects of the court.
Arguably the most impressive aspect of Horner’s success is that she’s only a freshman, displaying the instincts and intelligence of an upperclassman. If this is Horner’s baseline, Wisconsin won’t have to worry about the setter position for the foreseeable future.
