The Wisconsin volleyball team took home two wins over the weekend in the Oregon State/Active Ankle Challenge.
The Badgers opened the tournament with a win over Seattle Saturday.
After splitting the first two sets, Seattle took a 23-17 lead in the third set of their match with the Badgers. Wisconsin then rallied to win eight points in a row and take the third set 25-23.
""We made a great comeback in that game, and that really turned the match around,"" UW coach Pete Waite said.
Senior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner sparked the comeback with three kills during the 8-0 run. She finished with a team-high 12 kills in the match, and she added 12 digs to record her first double-double of the season. The Badgers easily dominated the fourth set to take the match 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14.
In its next game, Wisconsin could not get into a rhythm on offense against Cal State Fullerton.
Wisconsin held a 21-16 lead in the first set but was unable to close the door on the Titans. In the second set, the Badgers struggled with their passing, and CSU Fullerton took advantage, winning the set handily.
The third set was much closer, and the two teams were locked up at 22-all. The Titans finished off the Badgers with three consecutive points, however, with the third coming on a service ace.
The Badgers had their best performance of the tournament against Oregon State, pulling out the victory in a five-set thriller.
Sophomore middle back Elle Ohlander, senior outside hitter Caity DuPont, Freshman middle back Alexis Mitchell, and Dolgner all chipped in with double-digit kill totals. DuPont also had two of Wisconsin's four service aces.
""That was a great win for our team,"" Waite said. ""That was the best we've seen our entire team play. It was great balance and great improvement from match to match. Across the board, we had a number of great performances.""
Sophomore setter Janelle Gabrielsen had a game to remember, putting up a career-best 56 assists, as well as nine digs, two kills and one block.
""After our match this morning, we watched video of that match with a number of different position players and just showed them some areas in which they can improve their game,"" Waite said. ""It wasn't so much about Oregon State, it was about us. They truly took it to heart and made some changes, and it showed up in the match.""
Wisconsin finished the Active Ankle Challenge with a 2-1 record. The Badgers return to the court next weekend at the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind. They take on host Notre Dame on Friday night, followed by a match against New Mexico State Saturday.
—UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
