The Badgers (4-1 Big Ten, 13-2 overall) overwhelmed two new conference opponents in a weekend sweep at home, not losing a set in either match. They cruised by Rutgers (0-5 Big Ten, 7-11 overall) by a score of 25-8, 25-17, 25-15 Friday night and Maryland (0-6 Big Ten, 7-9 overall) 25-14, 25-17, 25-17 Sunday at the UW Field House. It was Wisconsin’s first ever conference game against the two Big Ten newcomers.
Wisconsin jumped out to a 7-0 lead early Friday and won the first set easily 25-8. Sloppy play by the Badgers made the second set closer, with Rutgers pulling within four at 18-14. However, powerful kills from sophomore middle blocker Haleigh Nelson and freshman outside hitter Kelli Bates propelled the team to take the set 25-17.
“We were a little sloppy in game two but we had a lot of people going in and out and that can make it hard to find a comfort zone,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said.
Sheffield used the match against the last place Scarlet Knights as a chance to use virtually his entire team.
“We have our rotation of eight or nine players but there are more people than that who allow us to have the season that we’re having,” Sheffield said. “It was nice to get them some time and see them contribute.”
Led by sophomore middle blocker Tori Blake, who posted a .667 attacking percentage, those bench players helped lift the Badgers to a 25-15 victory in the final set.
“Even on the bench, we try and stay focused and engaged in the game,” Blake said. “So when my name was called, I was excited. That’s the moment we train for.”
Bates also put in an impressive offensive performance, posting 11 kills and a .500 attacking percentage. Sophmore setter Lauren Carlini had 22 assists and two aces while contributing 11 digs to a solid Badger defensive effort which held Rutgers to a .071 attacking percentage.
“One of the things we’ve been working on in practice is to maintain the same level of play no matter who is in the game and I think we did an okay job of that tonight, “ Carlini said. “It’s nice to set everyone on the team and to see everyone so excited.”
The Sunday game against the Terrapins kept the ball rolling for the Badgers, who completed the weekend sweep in front of a sellout crowd.
Wisconsin used 20 attacking errors and eight service errors by a sloppy Terrapin side, as well as skills developed from what head coach Kelly Sheffield described as a “hard week of practice,” to ensure that Maryland remained winless in its inaugural season of Big Ten play.
“We didn’t talk about Maryland’s errors at all—we were focused on what we needed to do,” Sheffield said. “We were more working on trying to execute things that we were had gone over this past week in practice.”
Hot starts from senior outside hitter Courtney Thomas and sophomore middle blocker Haleigh Nelson powered the Badgers to a 25-14 win in the first set. Thomas posted a team best nine kills for the match as well as a .750 attacking percentage, while Nelson added eight kills of her own.
“It brings a lot to the team when Courtney can put up big numbers like she did today,” Nelson said. “It says a lot about the leadership and energy she brings to the court.”
While the Terrapins pulled to within four at 14-11 in the second set and led early in the third, Wisconsin used the energy of a packed Fieldhouse and timely kills from senior middle blocker Dominique Thompson to pull out 25-17 wins in both sets.
“We asked our players not to take the feeling of playing in front of a sellout crowd for granted,” Sheffield said. “We appreciate the support and you can tell that there is momentum behind us.”
The Badgers’ will travel to Minnesota to take on the No. 23 Gophers Wednesday.
