The Wisconsin Volleyball team (5-15 Big Ten, 17-16 overall) fell hard in their final game of the season to Purdue last Friday in a 3-1 loss to the No. 22 ranked Boilermakers (12-8, 21-10).
Purdue trounced the Badgers in the first set, beating Wisconsin 25-14 after breaking an 8-8 tie. The second set was narrowly taken by Wisconsin. After building a 22-16 lead, the Badgers allowed Purdue to score seven unanswered points making the score 23-22.
With kills by sophomore Ellen Chapman and senior Alexis Mitchell the Badgers silenced Purdue’s late rally and won the set 26-24 on a Purdue hitting error. The third set began with a 4-4 tie before Purdue came to life and beat the Badgers with a decisive score of 25-14. The fourth set remained competitive until the bitter end. Having closely trailed the Boilermakers for most of the set, the Badgers tied the score at 22. Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s hard fought comeback proved futile as Badger hitting errors and a Purdue score delivered the set and the match to the Boilers.
As a team Wisconsin failed to impress offensively, producing 43 kills and a hitting percent of .162 compared to Purdue’s 65 kills and .304 hitting percent. UW tied Purdue on the serving line with both teams racking up seven aces apiece. Leading the Badgers in kills was junior Julie Mikaelsen with 16 followed by Mitchell with 13.
Purdue also beat out Wisconsin on defense, recording 77 digs compared to the Badger’s 54. Annemarie Hickey led the Badgers with 21 saves while senior Mary Ording recorded six of Wisconsin’s nine blocks. Sophomore Courtney Thomas had her 14th double double of the season with 12 saves and 37 of the Badger’s 41 assists.
While the Badgers put together their most wins in a season since 2008, the 2012 in-conference season tied the worst Big Ten performance by the Badgers in over two decades. Perhaps most disappointing about Wisconsin’s Big Ten record was the team’s inability to succeed consistently against conference foes after an impressive 12-1 out of conference start. Five starters and 12 letter-winners return for the 2013 season in which the Badgers will seek a spot in the NCAA tournament.
