A three set sweep could not have come at a better time for the Wisconsin volleyball team (5-6 Big Ten, 15-8 overall), who recorded its first win in three weeks at the UW Field House Wednesday night. The Badgers defeated Northwestern (1-10, 7-15) 25-20, 25-19, 25-21 and gained back some ground after losing the past four conference matches, including two matches this past week at home.
Well, I'm happy with the win,"" UW head coach Pete Waite said. ""Just looking at the stats, I think we did a nice job keeping their hitters down a little bit. [They're] hitting percentage as a team was down, and it wasn't just because of our blocking. I think that was okay, but I think our defense was pretty solid and our passing was much better '¦ I was pleased with the effort.""
Without a doubt, the Wisconsin defense was solid throughout the match. The Badgers tallied only six blocks on the night, but as a team pulled up 39 saves and held the Wildcat offense to just .119 hitting all night.
Sophomore libero Kim Kuzma had another great night digging, making 15 saves to lead all players. On the net, freshman middle blocker Elle Ohlander had four blocks, including one solo, while junior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner made two as well, including a solo block of her own. Offensively, Wisconsin also had an impressive evening, and were led in kills by Dolgner and Ohlander, who threw down 11 and nine respectively.
""Even though we did have a short week of practice, we were a lot more fresh,"" sophomore setter Nikki Klingsporn said. ""We came out there and gave a lot of heart and passion.""
The first set of the night started off as a close battle. Northwestern stayed neck-in-neck, despite an early five-kill performance from Dolgner. With the game tied at 19, the Badgers took the lead on a kill by sophomore setter Nikki Klingsporn before the Wildcats fell apart and committed four attack errors that led to a Wisconsin win.
The second set began in a similar fashion, as Northwestern rallied from a three point deficit early on to tie the score at 16 apiece, until the Badgers went on a 9-3 run sparked by kills from four Wisconsin players.
The last set looked as though the Badgers would run away with a quick win, taking a 23-15 lead. But the Wildcats put together a small comeback, scoring five in a row on three kills and a pair of attack errors from Wisconsin. But the Badgers put the cap on the match three points later on kills from senior middle blocker Audra Jeffers and sophomore outside hitter Allison Wack.
""[This game] gave us a little confidence boost,"" Dolgner said. ""It showed us that we can do it, we can play Badger volleyball again. It's really nice to prove ourselves like that.""
Wisconsin will take the court again on Friday when they play host to Michigan State. The Spartans (3-7, 11-10) are the ninth ranked team in the Big Ten despite having one of the best hitting teams in the conference. The Spartans have averaged 13.8 kills per set this season and are led by sophomore outside hitter Jenilee Rathje, who has thrown down an average of 3.93 kills per set.
However, the Badgers should be able to take advantage of the Spartans' defense, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten in blocks and tenth in digs.
First serve for the match is set for 7 p.m. at the UW Field House. All patrons wearing costumes will receive free admission for the night.
