(UW ATHLETICS) MILWAUKEE – All too familiar from last December in Tampa, Fla., the No. 3 Wisconsin volleyball team lost in four sets to No. 1 Texas 28-30, 25-23, 15-25, 11-25 in the first match of the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase held at Fiserv Forum on Sunday afternoon.
As expected, the first set was a back and forth battle, bringing 16 ties and four lead changes. Wisconsin created some distance with a block from Anna Smrek and Devyn Robinson, taking a 13-9 lead. But a service run from Madisen Skinner tied it up at 13 apiece. A kill from Sarah Franklin sided out UW, but Texas responded yet again with another 4-0 run. Wisconsin regained the lead with a 7-1 run to grab a 21-18 lead. A successful challenge by the Longhorns at 27-27 switched the momentum in what was first called as a kill by Devyn Robinson, then changed to replaying the point because the Texas libero got under the ball for a no floor touch. Wisconisn looked to get the next two points, but ultimately fell in the set, 28-30.
Set two was a set of runs. Texas got out to a hot start, as they stole an 8-4 lead, fueled by a 6-2 run. Wisconsin continued to chip away, until a 4-0 run by the Badgers led to a Longhorn timeout, as UW led 12-11. The two teams traded off runs. Two kills from Trinity Shadd-Ceres and an ace from Charlie Fuerbringer gave the Badgers a 22-20 lead, from there Wisconsin closed it out with grit and won the second set 25-23 to tie the match at a set a piece.
Texas came out of the break swinging and took an early 6-2 lead. Three straight kills from Franklin pulled the Badgers within one (6-5), but Texas rolled from there and the Badgers were unable to overcome the deficit. The Longhorns won set three 25-15 and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
Wisconsin struggled to get anything going during the fourth set, as Texas hit .364 and took the final set, and the match 25-11.
Sarah Franklin had a match-high 25 kills (25-10-69). As a team, UW hit .153 (51 kills – 26 errors – 163 attempts).
Jenna Wenaas led the Longhorns with 18 kills. Texas hit .265 (60 kills – 17 errors – 162 attempts) on the day.
Charlie Fuerbringer put up 43 assists and 11 digs, for her first double-double of the season. Freshman Lola Schumacher led the team with 16 digs.
The Longhorns out-blocked the Badgers 10.5 – 9.0. Robinson led UW with four total blocks. Fuerbringer and Franklin tallied the two service aces for the Badgers.
- The last time the Badgers started a season 0-2 was in 1993.
- 69 attempts in four sets by Franklin sets a school record. Franklin previously held the record, and recently broke on Aug. 27 against Louisville last week.
- With 43 assists and 11 digs, freshman Charlie Fuerbringer records her first double-double of her career.
- Texas now owns a 6-0 overall record over the Badgers.
- Freshman Lola Schumacher records her first double digit dig total with 16.
- .153 (51-26-163) marks back-to-back matches this season where Wisconsin was held under a .200 hitting percentage.
- Graduate Carley Anderson and freshman Maile Chan made their UW debut, entering in the third set.
Up next: The Badgers will return to action on Monday afternoon as they face Stanford in their second match of the State Farm Volleyball Showcase. First serve is set for 4 pm at the Fiserv Forum. The match will be aired on FOX.
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