Setting the Stage: Badgers Prepare for Big Weekend

MADISON, Wis. — The No. 7 Wisconsin volleyball team welcomes No. 2 Nebraska to the Field House on Friday night at 8 pm before traveling to Illinois for a 1 pm Sunday afternoon match. Friday’s match will be aired on the Big Ten Network, while Sunday’s match will be available on B1G+.

Before the match begins, here are six things to know:

1. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers picked up a key road win last weekend, taking down No. 10 Purdue 25-20, 25-23, 25-13 on Saturday afternoon. Freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer set a career-high with four aces. Wisconsin outblocked Purdue 15-7, ace Carter Booth carved seven of her own. Two nights before, the Badgers took down Indiana in straight-sets. Once again, the Badgers put on a blocking clinic, recording 14 roofs, compared to Indiana’s three. Freshman libero Lola Schumacher recorded 20 digs for her third 20+ dig match of the season.

2. NINE…AND COUNTING: Wisconsin is currently on a nine-match win streak and have steadily improved on both sides of the ball. In the last nine matches, Wisconsin is hitting .338, while holding its opponents to .115. Sarah Franklin is averaging 4.17 kills/set while hitting .325. Anna Smrek has come alive reaching double-digit kill totals in three-straight matches. She has averaged 3.31 kills per set during the streak. Defensively, the Badgers are averaging 13.83 digs per set, and 3.90 blocks per set. Booth leads the pack with 1.96 blocks/set, while Smrek (1.52), Crawford (1.37), and Robinson (1.21) each average over a block per set. Freshman Lola Schumacher leads the team with 4.21 digs/set, while Franklin (2.41), Orzol (2.17), Fuerbringer (1.72), and Gucetkin (1.66) chip in with nearly two digs per set.to

3. BLOCKTOBER: CC Crawford reached a milestone on Thursday in a 3-0 sweep over Indiana. Crawford recorded a match-high eight blocks, and tallied her 600th career block in the second set of the match. On Sunday at Purdue, junior Carter Booth needed just six blocks to reach 400 career blocks. As a team, the Badgers recorded 15.0 total team blocks, whereas Booth contributed to seven of those and reached 400 by the second set.



4. WHITE OUT IN THE FIELD HOUSE: Friday night’s matchup against Nebraska will be a white out. All fans are encouraged to wear their white Badger gear and help white out the Field House.

5. SCOUTING THE HUSKERS: Big Ten rival Neraska leads the Badgers overall, 20-13-1. Before the five-set heartbreaker last season in Lincoln, the Badgers had won ten in a row against the Huskers. UW has not lost at home to Nebraska since the 2013 season, Sheffield’s first season with the squad. Currently, Nebraska holds a 20-1 record, with their one loss coming from SMU in their fourth match of the season. The Mustangs swept them 25-23, 25-21, 25-18. The Huskers are coming off a 3-1 victory over Michigan this past weekend. They didn’t graduate anyone from last season and added outside hitter Taylor Landfair. Bergen Reilly has been named Big Ten setter of the week three times this season and leads the Big Ten with 11.25 assists per set.

6. SCOUTING THE ILLINI: Historically, Illinois just barely has the edge over UW, leading 49-48-1. The Badgers have won the last nine meetings between the two teams. The Fighting Illini are 14-6 overall, this season, and 6-4 in conference play. They are coming off a 3-1 win over Iowa. Outside hitter Raina Terry ranks just below Sarah Franklin at fifth in the Big Ten for kills per set, averaging 4.32.