The Badgers (6-4) won back-to-back matches on Sept. 17 and 18 against two neighboring Wisconsin teams,recovering from a tough loss last week.
The Badgers first took on Marquette (5-5) on Thursday and came out on top in a four set match. They then defeated Milwaukee (5-6) on Friday, winning three of four sets.
Wisconsin was able to capitalize on their offense during both matchups, marking 64 kills against Marquette and a season-high 66 kills against Milwaukee.
Decelise Champion makes her presence known
Marquette pulled away early in the first set on Thursday, going on a 5-0 run to go up 10-5 and force a Badger timeout. Wisconsin responded later in the set with back-to-back blocks and a kill from outside hitter Eva Travis to tie the score at 11.
Both teams continued to trade points, with Marquette going on a 3-0 run late in the set and taking a 24-20 lead. The Golden Eagles were able to close it out with a kill from Tani Juric to end the set 25-22.
Set two started as a back-and-forth battle before Wisconsin was able to pull away with an 8-2 run and force two Marquette timeouts.
Outside hitter Decelise Champion started to shine in this set, landing two kills to allow the Badgers to go up 23-16. The 17-year-old freshman went on to record 20 kills in the night, as well as 11 digs.
“The kid’s fearless,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said when asked about Champion’s performance. “Tonight I thought she was working the court.”
Middle blocker Lynney Tarnow finished off set two for Wisconsin, tallying a kill of her own to end the set 25-17 and tie the match.
The Badgers continued to capitalize on their offensive attack in the third set, going on a 5-0 run, highlighted by two aces from outside hitter Audrey Flanagan. Marquette continued to put up a fight, trailing behind for the remainder of the set.
With Flanagan up to serve again, Wisconsin was able to extend their lead and went on a 4-0 run to go up 22-14. The Golden Eagles went on a 4-0 run of their own to stay in the game, but a net violation from Carson Tyler gave the Badgers the set 25-19.
The fourth set started off similarly, with Wisconsin being able to pull away 15-9 after recording five kills in a row.
The Badgers stayed ahead for the remainder of the set and allowed their offense to take over. A pair of kills from middle blocker Jaela Auguste sparked a 5-0 run for Wisconsin, ending the set 25-15 and securing the win.
Badger offense continues to erupt
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee got things started early on Friday, building separation quickly in the first set. The Badgers responded promptly, with both teams continuing to trade points throughout the set.
Wisconsin was able to pull ahead late in the set and lead 23-17 with a 5-0 run highlighted by three consecutive kills from Champion.
A pair of kills from Flanagan and Champion closed out set one for Wisconsin, 25-18.
The Badgers kept their momentum rolling into the second set and took a 9-3 lead right away. A pair of kills from Kymora Scott gave Wisconsin a nine-point lead towards the end of the set.
The Panthers kept pushing, but a kill from outside hitter Halle Thompson closed out the set for the Badgers 25-18.
Wisconsin continued to stay ahead in set three, with Milwaukee trailing closely behind. The two teams continued to battle it out throughout the set, recording five lead changes and 10 tied scores.
The Panthers were eventually able to pull slightly ahead and a kill from Ella Parker ended the set 25-22, forcing a fourth set.
The Badgers bounced back in set four, continuing to build separation as the set went on. They were eventually able to take an eight-point lead due to a pair of kills from Travis and middle blocker Natalie Wardlow.
Wisconsin went on a 4-0 run to end the set and complete the win—highlighted by two kills from Travis—with a final score of 25-14.
Libero Anna Bardaro anchored the Badgers’ back row, where she recorded 17 digs, three assists and three aces.
These two games mark the end of non-conference play for Wisconsin. The Badgers will begin conference play by hosting No. 25 Oregon at UW Field House on Sept. 24.
With the Big Ten being one of the top conferences in the NCAA, Wisconsin will face some tough competition in the near future.
“Like most the streets of Madison, you see these signs that say construction ahead,” Sheffield said. “I would say that’s probably us right now. There’s work in front of us.”
