The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s volleyball team hosted Marquette at a packed Kohl Center for the annual I-94 Rivalry, an eventful match-up that marked their first home match of the season at the venue.
Marquette started strong, with setter Yadhira Anchante contributing two assists. The Badgers kept it close as Sarah Franklin notched three kills, which brought the outside hitter to her 1,500th career kill. Despite being tied at 22-22, Marquette closed out the set with three kills, the final one executed by Carsen Murray.
Wisconsin took control early in the second set, as two kills from Sarah Franklin helped double Wisconsin’s score at 8-4. The Golden Eagles rallied back to bring it within one point, but the Badgers maintained their composure and ultimately won the set 25-20, led by kill after kill from Anna Smrek and Julia Orzol.
The third set featured a tight back-and-forth battle with five lead changes. But, the Badgers responded with a dominant 10-0 run after going down 14-12, fueled by four kills from Franklin that propelled them to a 22-14 lead. Franklin and Devyn Robinson then closed out the set 25-16.
The final set remained tight until Wisconsin pulled away with a 4-0 run to lead 20-14. Marquette fought back, narrowing the gap to 22-18, but Franklin sealed the victory with three consecutive kills, securing a 3-1 win for the Badgers. Franklin would finish the set with 12 kills to her name.
Franklin ended the game hitting 0.517 with 33 kills and eight digs. The Badger recorded a new personal high in kills as well as notching a program record for most kills in a single match, previously held by Dana Rettke in 2018. Charlie Fuerbringer started for the injured Carly Anderson and racked up 51 assists and 11 digs for a double-double.
Smrek and Orzol had 15 and 10 kills, respectively, with the former also racking up six blocks. The Golden Eagles were led by Carsen Murray with 12 kills, who hit 0.632 for the night and led the team in blocks.
Badger Alum and Casalmaggiore setter Lauren Carlini was honored tonight for claiming a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Carlini joined head coach Kelly Sheffield and the Wisconsin bench as an offensive analyst.
The Badgers head to Minneapolis to take on the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
