No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball faced Michigan State at the Fieldhouse on Nov.30 to cap off the regular season and Big Ten play. With third place in the Big Ten already secured, the Badgers still played their starters on senior night, aiming to maintain a high NCAA tournament seed.
The Spartans entered the match with a 6-13 Big Ten record and 13-18 overall. They failed to make the Big Ten tournament, so this matchup was their last of the season.
Before the game, the Badgers honored seniors Sarah Franklin, Devyn Robinson, Anna Smrek, Julia Orzol, CC Crawford and Carly Anderson.
In the first set, Wisconsin started with a 3-1 run, fueled by Spartan errors and a block from Franklin and Robinson. But Michigan State fought back, tying the game at 10-all with a 4-0 run. After head coach Kelly Sheffield issued a timeout, the Badgers responded with a 6-0 run, including two service aces from Crawford and two kills by Franklin. The Spartans narrowed the gap, but another 4-0 run by Wisconsin sealed the first set 25-19.
The second set remained competitive, with neither team gaining a significant advantage. The Spartans held a 16-13 lead before the Badgers tied it on Crawford's kill. The teams continued to trade points, with momentum swinging back and forth. At the end of the set, the Badgers were down 23-22, but a 3-1 run gave them a 25-24 lead.
The Spartans responded with their own run to take a two-point lead. Franklin answered with a kill, but two kills by Taylor Preston of the Spartans secured a 28-26 set two win for Michigan State.
Wisconsin came out strong in the third set, building a 13-8 lead through two 3-0 runs. The Badgers maintained control, chaining points together while keeping Michigan State from going on any runs. The Spartans weren't done, though, as they fell behind 21-12 but went on a 5-0 run to get back in striking range. But, after a Sheffield timeout, the Badgers stopped the Spartans' momentum and won the set 25-19.
Michigan State jumped to an early 5-2 lead in the fourth set. The Badgers responded with an 8-1 run featuring multiple kills from Franklin, an ace, block and kill from Orzol and multiple assists and a kill from freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer. Wisconsin controlled the remainder of the set, chaining multiple points together and not allowing the Spartans to gain momentum. A kill from junior middle blocker Carter Booth sealed the set and match for the Badgers, 25-18.
On senior night, the veterans shined. Franklin and Orzol led the team with 23 and 13 kills, respectively. Orzol, Crawford and Franklin each recorded multiple aces. Booth led all players with nine blocks, while Fuerbringer notched a season-high six. Saige Damrow continued her strong late-season play with a match-high 19 digs.
The Badgers now turn their attention to the NCAA tournament, where they secured the No. 2 seed in the Lower Right Region.
