Kenna Sauer helped the Texas Tech volleyball team end a 20-year NCAA Championship drought.
Now, the former Ankeny Centennial star could be headed toward a possible second-round matchup against one of her ex-Jaguar teammates.
Sauer and the Red Raiders (17-12) earned their first trip to the Big Dance since 2001 during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday night. They will play Florida Gulf Coast (26-5) in the opening round on Friday at Madison, Wis., at 4:30 p.m.
Wisconsin (25-3) is the tournament’s No. 4 overall seed and will host Colgate (18-9) in another first-round match at UW Field House, beginning at 7 p.m. The winners of the two matches will meet on Saturday in the second round at 6 p.m.
Sauer’s former Centennial teammate, Devyn Robinson, helped the Badgers to a third consecutive Big Ten title this season. The sophomore middle blocker has racked up 242 kills and 92 blocks while posting a .347 hitting percentage.
Wisconsin is in the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight season and the 25th time in program history. The Badgers have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 round of play in each of their eight trips under head coach Kelly Sheffield, including three appearances in the Final Four.
Robinson was a third-team all-American and a first-team all-Big Ten selection as a freshman, when she helped Wisconsin to an 18-1 record. The Badgers reached the national semifinals last spring before falling to Texas.
Sauer, a junior outside hitter who started her college career at Missouri before transferring to Texas Tech, leads the Red Raiders with 346 kills. She ranks ninth in the Big 12.
Texas Tech finished the regular season with a top 40 RPI, winning four of its last six matches. The Red Raiders’ seven wins in league play matched the program high under coach Tony Graystone.
Texas Tech’s biggest win of the season came on Oct. 1 when the Red Raiders topped No. 9 Baylor in five sets on the road. It was the Red Raiders’ first win over a top 10 team since 1996.