Though they won a pair of matches over the weekend, the Badgers will begin Big Ten play with the bitter taste of defeat still in their mouths.
No. 11 Wisconsin (8-2) walked away from the Creighton Classic in Omaha, Neb., with victories over Kansas State (8-4) and Creighton (6-7) but falling to Arkansas (10-2) in the final to snap its 8-match winning streak. UW cruised to victories in its first two matches, winning 3-1 and 3-0 respectively, before falling 3-2 in the final.
The first match was not as easy as the Badgers’ 3-1 victory indicated, with Wisconsin winning its three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-14 and 25-23.
“We were gritty that match even when it wasn’t a thing of beauty. We did a better job of that against an elite team,” UW head coach Kelly Sheffield said.
Wisconsin’s defense held Kansas State to a .162 hitting percentage, which is especially impressive considering that the Wildcats entered the match with a hitting percentage north of .300.
The Badgers on the other hand posted a .206 hitting percentage with sophomore outside hitter Lauryn Gillis leading the team with 18 kills. Junior setter Lauren Carlini also put together a dominant performance as she accounted for 53 of the team’s 61 total assists.
In the second match of the weekend, Wisconsin had little trouble against Creighton, winning three straight tight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-21 and 25-23. The Badgers recorded a season-best 13 blocks on the night, outdug Creighton 52-49 and held the Bluejays to a .152 hitting percentage.
Senior defensive specialist Taylor Morey was key for UW in its second win, leading both teams with 18 digs.
Wisconsin’s offense did not look as potent as its defense, however, as Creighton held the Badgers to a .197 hitting percentage and 40 assists.
In the final game of the weekend, Wisconsin lost a tough five-set match by scores of 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-13 and 11-15.
Both offenses had strong performances with Wisconsin and Arkansas recording .293 and .270 hitting percentages, respectively.
Junior middle blocker Haleigh Nelson led Wisconsin with 18 kills on the night with freshman middle blocker recording 16 kills of her own. Carlini continued to dish out the ball well recording 56 assists in the match.
Morey again patrolled the back line for the Badgers, recording 17 digs on the night. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, Arkansas also had a strong offensive performance.
Senior middle blocker Chanell Clark-Bibbs was dominant, leading the Razorbacks with 24 kills and a .556 attacking percentage. Junior setter Adrein Wohlschlaeger helped Arkansas spread the ball around and led both teams with 59 assists.
Up next for the Badgers is a tough road matchup against Big Ten juggernaut Penn State (11-0) Wednesday, followed by a Sunday match with the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1).
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
