The No. 8 University of Wisconsin-Madison volleyball team beat the University of Indiana Hoosiers in straight sets on Thursday.
It was a milestone night in Bloomington for both the Badgers, who extended their current win streak to eight games, and their head coach Kelly Sheffield, who became the winningest coach in program history with his 306th win at Wisconsin.
The first set was a close contest. The two teams traded points back and forth throughout the set, and the Badgers made six service errors, which put them in a difficult position. They were able to overcome a late push from the Hoosiers, though, to narrowly win the set, 25-23.
During the second set, Wisconsin picked up its defensive game, reminiscent of their last game against Michigan when the team set a program blocking record. Fifth-year middle blocker CC Crawford was a star on the court, racking up three blocks in the first five Wisconsin points and several strong kills throughout the set as well. The Badgers went on to win the set, 25-18.
The Badgers began the third and final set with a 7-0 run before the Hoosiers were able to get a point on the board. The Badgers remained consistent and took the set 25-13 without much of a challenge, holding the Hoosiers to a .000 hitting percentage.
The team finished with 49 kills and 14 blocks in the game. Fifth-year outside hitter Sarah Franklin was responsible for 15 kills, and senior right side hitter Anna Smrek earned 10 kills and seven blocks. Crawford ended the night with nine kills and eight blocks, propelling her to her 600th career block.
Freshman libero Lola Schumacher and freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer have continued to be impactful additions to the Wisconsin team. Schumacher led with 20 kills, and Fuerbringer led with 37 assists against Indiana.
Wisconsin now sits at 14-4 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten conference play this season.
