Wisconsin Makes Comeback Over Marquette After Dropping First Set

Match Results

• #4 Wisconsin def. Marquette 3-1, (19-25, 25-13, 25-21, 26-24)
• Madison, Wisconsin
• UW Field House
• Attendance: 6,012
• Match Stats

The #4 Wisconsin Badgers took down Marquette in a comeback match after dropping the first set.

The first set was a close battle between the teams until Marquette went on a 9-2 run late to take an 18-12 lead. The lead was sparked by Anna Haak and Allie Barber kills. The lead was too much for the Badgers to handle, as they dropped the first 25-19. The second set was a huge turnaround for the Badgers, as they took an early lead and were able to capitalize on it throughout the remainder of the set to tie things up at 1-1 with a 25-13 second set score.

Marquette took a small lead in the third being up 14-11. Two kills from Lauren Gillis and one by Madison Duello brought the score to a tie at 14 all. The remainder of the set was back and forth until Wisconsin took the lead at 21-18. They finished off the set with two attack errors for a 25-21 third set score.

The final set of the match was a trade off of points the entire set, with Wisconsin taking the pulling away slightly at 13-10, but Marquette fought right back to tie it up at 13 all. With the score tied up late at 24-24, a Kelli Bates and Gillis kill ended the match 26-24.

Led by seniors @kellibates04 and @lololoyourboat_ the #Badgers down in-state rival Marquette on Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/lXFwksAhn2

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) September 15, 2017

Making an appearance at the home game for the Badgers was former First Team All-American Lauren Carlini. Carlini has been traveling with the U.S. National Women’s Team this summer to various international events and will compete with Savino Del Bene Volley in Italy. In addition, Carlini will become the face of Adidas Volleyball.

The most popular person at tonight's match is @laurencarlini pic.twitter.com/9KEoWczBNy

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) September 14, 2017

Leading the Badgers was Bates with 17 kills on a .424 hitting percentage and 10 digs for a double-double. Gillis added another 12 kills and Duello put down 11 and four blocks. Dana Rettke was slow offensively but blocked seven balls in the match. Setter Sydney Hilley dished out 39 assists, nine digs, four blocks and five kills while ME Dodge picked up 21 digs.

For Marquette, Barber slammed down a match-best 21 kills while Haak added another 11. In the back court, Martha Konovodoff and Manon Geoffroy picked up 18 and 10 digs respectively. For a match-best, Elizabeth Orf put back nine blocks

Press Release

Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics

Despite dropping the first set, the fifth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team came out victorious in a hard-fought, four-set match on Thursday night in the UW Field House. The Badgers (8-0) rallied to take down in-state rival Marquette, 19-25, 25-13, 25-21, 26-24, in first match of the Badger Classic.

Senior outside hitter Kelli Bates carried the team offensively with a team-high 17 kills while adding 10 digs to earn her second double-double of the season and the 24th of her career. The Bradley, Illinois, native also had two assists and two blocks.

The Badgers won the defensive battle, out-blocking the Golden Eagles 13-10 and digging up 60 balls to Marquette’s 56. Sophomore libero M.E. Dodge had a career-high 21 digs for UW.

Senior Lauryn Gillis started her first match of the season after missing five matches with an ankle injury. The 6-1 outside hitter collected 12 kills, two blocks, two digs and an assist.

Wisconsin hit .254 in the match and held Marquette (5-5) to a .159 hitting percentage. The Badgers have out-hit their opponents in every match this season.

Quotable

“That’s a really good team we played. They present a lot of challenges, and I think these two (Kelli Bates and Lauryn Gillis) were really big for us tonight. They’re our seniors and that’s what you do in big matches. I think our young kids played a little young tonight and I think these two carried us tonight.

“I thought Kelli, especially offensively, was fantastic all night and her passing got better as the match went on. (Gilly) was getting her first start, and I thought that she started playing really, really well the last three sets and hit a lot of high hands.

“Neither of them forced it too much, having a low error night for both of them, and just going up there with confidence and taking good swings. They did what seniors are supposed to do.”

-Head coach Kelly Sheffield

“Marquette was a gritty team to test ourselves, and to test how we can battle back and punch back from things. We knew that Marquette was really talented and how they had a couple of hitters just like a lot of the teams in the Big Ten. They were some tough sets, and Marquette brought it.  I knew we were going to battle back, and I knew we weren’t going to stop fighting, but Marquette was a great team for us to test ourselves and see how we can pace up our speed.”

– Kelli Bates

Notables

• The Badgers sixth-longest program set winning streak ended tonight at 21 games.
• Sarah Dodd recorded a career-high three service aces.
• Setter Sydney Hilley had a career-high five kills.
• In her first career start, freshman middle blocker Nicole Shanahan had a career-high six blocks and two kills.
• Sophomore libero M.E. Dodge had a career-high 21 digs.
• Leading the team with a career-high seven blocks was freshman Dana Rettke.
• Kelli Bates earned her second double-double of the season and the 24th of her career with a season-high 17 kills while adding 10 digs.
• Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello set two career highs with four digs and 26 attack attempts.

It was over when

The fourth set of the match proved to be the deciding factor. It was a rigorous, back-and-forth battle with 10 ties and four lead changes early on.

The Badgers were up 22-19 when the Golden Eagles surged back to make it a one-point game (22-21). A kill by Bates was countered with a kill by Marquette’s Allie Barber before a Golden Eagles’ service ace tied the match at 23. Another kill by Bates gave the Badgers their first match point at 24-23, but Barber kept Marquette in it with a kill of her own to tie the match at 24 apiece.

Wisconsin’s senior leadership took charge as Bates and Gillis combined for back-to-back kills to win the match at 26-24.

Up next

The Badger Classic continues tomorrow as Marquette takes on Southern Miss at 6 p.m. Admission to the match is free. The Badgers wrap up the tournament on Saturday, hosting Southern Miss at 7 p.m.

Press Release

Courtesy of Marquette Athletics

The Marquette University women’s volleyball team competed tough, but dropped a 3-1 (25-19, 13-25, 21-25, 24-26) match against fifth-ranked Wisconsin on Thursday night at the UW Fieldhouse. By winning the first set, the Golden Eagles became the first team this season to take a set from the Badgers.

The Golden Eagles (5-5) were led by sophomore Allie Barber with 21 kills, while junior Anna Haak tallied 11.Martha Konovodoff and Hope Werch recorded double digit digs with 18 and 10, respectively, while sophomore setter Lauren Speckman dished out 43 assists. Elizabeth Orf posted a career-high nine blocks, while Barber notched six in the match.

Wisconsin (8-0) had three record double digit kills led by Kelli Bates with 17.

Marquette was tied with Wisconsin 9-9 in the first set before a kill from Barber put the Golden Eagles in front, 16-10. MU did not trail again as Barber’s six kills helped pave the way to a 25-19 victory after Speckman’s service ace sealed the deal.

Wisconsin won the second set with ease, 25-13, but Marquette fought back in the third set to push the Badgers and traded points back-and-forth with UW, though dropped the frame, 25-21.

After trading leads, the Badgers took the third set 25-21.  Kelli Bates and Madison Duello both posted five kills within the third set.

The fourth and final set needed extra points to be decided and dual kills from Haak gave the squad a 16-14 advantage.  Speckman served another ace to tie the set at 23 and a kill from Barber tied the score at 24, but the Badgers rallied to score the final two points needed for the match victory.

Marquette will be back in action Friday, Sept. 15 as the squad continues the Badger Classic. The Golden Eagles will take on fellow Golden Eagles of Southern Miss at 6 p.m. CT at UW Fieldhouse.