(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON – After a heartbreaking five-set loss in Lincoln in late October, the No. 5 Wisconsin got revenge against No. 1 Nebraska with a 25-22, 28-26, 25-16, sweep at the UW Field House on Friday afternoon.
After falling behind by as many as four to start the match, the Badgers (25-3, 16-3) chipped away at the Cornhusker (27-1, 18-1) lead to tie it up at 18 apiece. Nebraska regained the lead with a kill, but the Badgers responded with a side out and went on a 6-1 run to force a Nebraska timeout at 24-20. Nebraska held off two set points, which prompted a Wisconsin timeout. Sarah Franklin terminated a kill out of the timeout, and the Badgers took set one 25-22.
The second set brought 11 ties and six lead changes. Nebraska called an early timeout at 7-7 to halt a 3-0 Wisconsin run. The Cornhuskers then went on a 3-0 run of their own to take a 10-7 lead. After a kill from Andi Jackson to go up 17-15 for Nebraska, the Badgers went on a 4-0 run to force Nebraska to use their final timeout. Out of the timeout, the Cornhuskers went on 5-0 run, to take a 22-19 lead. Despite being down three points, the Badgers put together a run fueled by a block from CC Crawford and Anna Smrek, followed by back-to-back kills from Smrek to give UW a 23-22 lead. Nebraska sided out, but the Badgers got it right back with a kill from Franklin to give Wisconsin set point. Nebraska then responded with two-straight points to give the Cornhuskers set point. Smrek tallied another kill to hold off set point, but Nebraska’s Ally Batenhorst put it down to force another set point. In the end, it was Wisconsin who rattled off three straight points, with a kill from Franklin, a hitting error from Nebraska and a kill from Carter Booth put it away 28-26.
After a back and forth start to the third and final set, the Badgers took off to grab a 13-9 lead behind 10 kills from UW in that stretch. At 16-12, Crawford kicked off a match-deciding stretch with a kill, followed by an ace from MJ Hammill, back-to-back kills from Smrek and Temi Thomas0Ailara to give the Badgers a 21-12 lead. Nebraska scored just three more points, as Smrek iced the match with her 18th kill.
In just her second match back from injury, Smrek led the way with 18 kills. Franklin was not far behind with 16 kills. Wisconsin hit .357 (52 kills – 11 errors – 115 attempts).
Nebraska’s Harper Murray led the Cornhuskers with 15 kills, as they finished the match hitting .243 (45 – 18 – 111).
Wisconsin doubled up Nebraska on blocks, with 6.0 compared to Nebraska’s 3.0. Crawford tallied four total blocks, and Smrek added three.
Hammill racked up 25 assists, as Izzy Ashburn added 17. Julia Orozol and Sarah Franklin both put up 12 digs, making this Franklin’s seventh double-double of the season.
After recording zero service aces the first time they met in Lincoln, the Badgers tallied five service aces today, as Hammill finished with two, and Guctekin, Orzol and Crawford each added one.
Straight from the court
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield On playing well heading into the tournament: “This match, for us, wasn’t about Nebraska. It really wasn’t; when you’ve lost two out of your last three, it was about us playing well at the end, and it was essential for us to start playing well, no matter who we’re playing. When you lose two out of your last three, and you’ve had a lot of pieces in and out of the lineup. We’ve got people together right now. It is our time to play well, and that’s where the excitement was. It’s not about ending somebody undefeated. None of us went into this year, saying here we play somebody that’s undefeated. Let’s go and bury them, or it’s Nebraska, let’s go. We wanted to play well headed into the tournament. When we’re playing well, we’re a handful. I know there are a lot of teams that can stress you in a lot of different ways. Indeed, that team has earned the right to say that they’re the best team in the country over the course of the season. They’ve been playing really, really well. But today was our day.”
Setter MJ HammillOn Nebraska coming in unbeaten: “The Big Ten is a dog fight all the time, every single match, and that’s a great team. I’m sure there will be a time when we see them again, and I think it just shows every night you have to be on in the Big Ten as a team.”Junior Ana SmrekOn comparing it to the 2021 National Championship match: “Honestly, it did in the sense that our team stuck together, and we looked to each other, and we’re all on the same page about what we wanted to accomplish this afternoon. We all wanted it, we were hungry, and I would compare it to the National Championship game.”
Noteable
- With the win over Nebraska, Wisconsin is 4-14 overall when facing the No. 1 ranked team.
- Head Coach Kelly Sheffield is 4-4 (.500) against a No. 1 ranked team in his career at Wisconsin.
- Senior Sarah Franklin recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 16 kills and 12 digs.
- The Badgers recorded the best hitting percentage (.357, 52-11-115) against Nebraska this season. Penn St. hit .298 against the Huskers back on November 3.
- Junior Anna Smrek set season highs in both kills and attempts with a 18-4-37 performance.
- Wisconsin hit over .300 for the 20th time this season.
- The Badgers outblocked its opponent for the 26th (of 28 matches) time this season. Wisconsin totaled six blocks on the night while Nebraska collected three.
Comments