The No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers outlasted the No. 11 Oregon Ducks in a four-set match at the Fieldhouse on Oct. 18. This game was a rematch of last year's quarterfinals, where the then-No. 1 Badgers defeated the then-No. 2 Ducks by the same score to reach the Final Four in Tampa.
The Ducks entered the matchup with a 13-2 record, having suffered losses only to No. 4 Pittsburgh and No. 3 Penn State. The Badgers, meanwhile, came in with an 11-4 record, riding a five-game winning streak and boasting an undefeated 7-0 record at home.
This contest was a battle of blocks — Oregon is ranked sixth in the nation with 2.95 blocks per set, led by Onye Ofoegbu and Colby Neal. Wisconsin was close behind, ranked seventh with 2.91 blocks per set, driven by fifth-year outside hitter Devyn Robinson and junior middle blocker Anna Smrek.
The Badgers won the first set 25-19. They started off strong, leading 5-1 with two kills each from Smrek and senior outside hitter Julia Orzol, plus a service ace from freshman setter Lola Schumacher. Oregon fought back with a series of service aces and managed to take a two-point lead at 16-14. But the Badgers then unleashed an 11-3 run, including a decisive 5-0 streak to end the set. This comeback was fueled by multiple kills from fifth-year outside hitter Sarah Franklin, several kills from Robinson and another service ace from freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer.
The Ducks got their revenge in the second set. Oregon started strong and took a 5-2 lead with several service aces and a kill from Noemie Glover. The Badgers tried to catch up, scoring a few points to make it close, but Oregon took control and didn't let go for the rest of the set. The Badgers managed to tie it at 20 with kills from Franklin and junior middle blocker Booth, but Oregon finished the set on a 5-1 run powered by two kills from Michelle Ohwobete and ended with a block by Ofoegbu.
The Badgers dominated the third set. Wisconsin and Oregon were tied early at 4-4. The Badgers then pulled ahead with kills from Franklin and Robinson, moving to a 10-5 lead. Oregon tried to catch up, but Wisconsin kept their momentum. They closed the set 25-19, Booth sealing it with a final kill.
In the fourth set, Wisconsin and Oregon were tied at 1-1 early on. The Badgers then took control with kills from Franklin and Orzol, moving to a 5-2 lead. Oregon tried to fight back, but Wisconsin kept their momentum with strong plays from Robinson and Franklin, extending their lead to 11-4. Despite Oregon's efforts to close the gap, the Badgers maintained their advantage. They wrapped up the set 25-19, with Booth delivering a key kill and a final block by fifth-year middle blocker CC Crawford and Smrek.
From a stats standpoint, the matchup was very close, with the Badgers having only four more kills, one more block and four more assists than Oregon. Meanwhile, the Ducks had four more aces than the Badgers. Franklin led all players with 17 kills, followed by Mimi Colyer of Oregon with 16. Oregon’s Mackenzie Morris led with three aces, while Fuerbringer led Wisconsin with two. Several players had four blocks each, and Oregon’s Cristin Cline had 43 assists, two more than Fuerbringer.
The real difference between the two teams was in digs, with Wisconsin winning that matchup 70-57, thanks in part to Schumacher, who led all players with 19 digs. Franklin contributed 12, and junior libero Gulce Gutcekin added 11.
