Benet’s Lynney Tarnow was 8 years old when she first attended Wisconsin’s volleyball camp.
She was just getting started in the sport and had no idea she would play college volleyball one day, but the experience left an impression. Tarnow’s family also has a summer home about an hour from the campus.
“Wisconsin was my dream school,” she said. “I didn’t really know any other school then, but ever since then it’s been my top school.
“I weighed other options, but I knew deep down that if I was getting the offer, that’s where I’d want to end up.”
Turns out Wisconsin wanted Tarnow too. The 6-foot-5 junior middle received a call from the Badgers on the morning of June 15, the first day college coaches are allowed to talk to student-athletes in the class of 2026, with a scholarship offer, which she accepted.
“It’s an honor,” Tarnow said. “It’s amazing and it’s so cool that I get to have this opportunity to play for them.”
Tarnow would be the third Benet player to suit up for Wisconsin, following Tiffany Clark and Lauren Barnes. The Badgers have reached at least the Elite Eight in nine of the past 11 seasons and played in three national championship matches, winning the title with Barnes in 2021. They went 30-4 and qualified for the Final Four last season.
Benet coach Brad Baker is thrilled for Tarnow.
“We’re excited,” Baker said. “That’s like committing to Alabama or Georgia for football. It’s one thing to go to a school’s camp and then play there, but to play (at Wisconsin) is way different right now. They’re only recruiting the absolute best kids in the nation, so to be in that category is really, really special.”
Indeed, Tarnow already has an impressive resume. She is a member of the National Team Development Program, is a MaxPreps All-American and is rated the No. 1 junior in Illinois and the sixth-best junior in the nation by Prep Dig.
“She has a different way of seeing the game,” Baker said. “You’ve got to have the physical tools, otherwise they won’t even think about recruiting you, and she has all those.
“Ever since she’s been young, she’s been able to hit shots that kids her age don’t normally hit, and she does it with power and placement. Add all those things together, and you’re going to Wisconsin.”
Tarnow’s blend of size and burgeoning athleticism has allowed her to dominate at the net in her first two seasons at Benet. She has amassed 470 kills and 90 blocks and helped the Redwings go 76-8 with two consecutive appearances in the Class 4A state championship match. She had 286 kills and 53 blocks as a sophomore.
“Middle blockers are known for blocking, but I think I’m also a middle hitter,” Tarnow said. “I can really get off (the floor) quickly and not only be active as a blocker defensively but also, being an offensive person, be able to hit quick balls and slides and do things that other middles might not be able to quite yet.”
She also has a high volleyball IQ.
“There is always growing room, but I think that is something that I do have,” Tarnow said. “I always tell people to have your toolbox. It’s kind of everything you can do. And I think I’m able to see the block as much as I can, and I try to swing away from it for most of the time.
Two former Wisconsin players from the Chicago area — West Aurora graduate Lauren Carlini and Riverside-Brookfield graduate Dana Rettke — will play for the U.S. at the Summer Olympics in Paris later this month.
“I think (Tarnow) has got a chance to be as good as any of those kids,” Baker said. “In today’s game, you’ve got to have a certain level of size to be able to really compete at a high level. She’s got that, and she’s already hitting the ball harder than most (juniors) do. I still think she’s got more to go. That’s pretty impressive.”
Has Tarnow thought about playing in the Olympics?
“That’s the end goal,” she said. “If you can say you played in the Olympics, I don’t think anything can really beat it, any awards or accolades. So that is definitely attractive to me, seeing that (Wisconsin) has a program that can get people there. It’s super cool I could maybe get there some day.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
