The Wisconsin Badgers emerged from their slump to defeat the Indiana Hoosiers in a sweep on Sunday afternoon in Bloomington.
Wisconsin got off to a quick start, and they never trailed in the first set. Indiana did manage to make the Badgers work for the set victory, however. Wisconsin was leading 20-18, and used a 4-0 run to eventually take the set by a score of 25-19. Indiana got off to a much better start in the second set, as they got off to a 4-0 lead. Indiana continued to push the Badgers to the brink, as the set was tied at 24 all. With kills from Sarah Franklin and Anna Smrek, who returned from a multi-game absence, Wisconsin survived to win the second set.
Down 0-2 in the match, Indiana didn’t have much left in the tank for the third set. Wisconsin jumped out to an 11-5 lead, and used it to win the third set 25-14. Wisconsin swept Indiana for the second time this season. After losses to Penn State and Purdue, the Badgers got back into the win column. Sarah Franklin led the way with 11 kills, followed by Smrek with 10, whose presence was clearly missed in the Badgers recent malaise.
Coach Kelly Sheffield said he has a lot that he is looking for as Wisconsin prepares for a rematch with #1 Nebraska. The Badgers are still 25-3 on the year. "We're not ready to get to the NCAA tournament right now. We've got work to do. We want to continue to play well and grow. Let's see how good we can get, and that's a team that is playing better than anybody in the country. That's a real test to see if you're on top of your game and what you need to continue to work on during the few days that remain afterwards.”
The Badgers will host the Cornhuskers on Black Friday at 3 p.m. at the UW Field House, looking to avenge a heartbreaking five-set loss in Lincoln in October.
