The No. 7 University of Wisconsin volleyball team brought in a 3-0 sweep against Illinois (RV) Thursday night, marking their ninth consecutive win of the season.
Starting on the court, captains, sophomore setter Charlie Fuerbringer and senior outside hitter Carter Booth. Red shirt sophomore Una Vajagic, senior Mimi Colyer and freshman Madison Quest.
The last time the squad came against the Fighting Illing’s was a similar sweep from last season. The Badgers held a strong offensive fight with Sarah Franklin and Anna Smrek both leading with 13 kills.
This year Wisconsin’s offense held stronger with Colyer leading with 16 kills. Vajagic trailing closely behind with 10. The first point of the match is thanks to a cross court kill from Colyer, sending freshman libero Kristen Simon to the line for her second ace of the season.
Colyer achieved player of the first set after scoring the last ten points on the service line through the red zone, ending the match 25-15.
Simon showed up from the back row, leading the match with 14 digs, adding to the match total of 56 digs against Illinois. “Just working on being really aggressive and passing every ball,” Simon said. “My mindset this game was ‘just come at me.’”
Following suit, freshman defensive specialist Aniya Warren stepped onto the court with force. Warren reached double digit digs for the second time this season hitting 10. Her time on the court shined through with her dedication to dive for every open gap.
Warren’s digs were not technical assists but her consistent diving saves set Fuerbringer and Colyer up for the perfect kill duo.
To start the second set, Quest laid down two kills sending freshman middle blocker Natalie Wardlow to the service line. Wardlow is leading the squad in highest aces scored in a set after sending over three against Chicago St. on Sept. 5.
Wardlow kept her spot, holding the squad 15-6.
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The second set consisted of strong volley’s from both teams. Warren and Simon switched back and forth to cover those hard digs coming in from Illinois, keeping them to only 32 kills of their 116 total attempts in the match. Illinois ended the match with a .103 hitting percentage.
Warren had a strong potential of player of the set with two pancake saving pays to keep the volley going but Wardlow’s performance on the line was unbeatable, giving her player of the second set. Ending the second set 25-17 for Wisconsin.
Set three was a strong defensive battle from both teams. Illinois held on to the 13-12 lead from the Badgers until the Wisconsin offense swept in to take the set to a 24-15 lead.
24-20 on the clock, everyone on their feet in the UW Field House for the final red zone of the night, was cut short after a hitting error for the Illing’s.
The youth on the squad is powerful and has strong potential to shine through conference play.
“They’ve got very high ceilings and they’re hungry,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said.
Wisconsin is set to play their annual Silent Set Match this Sunday Oct. 5, against Michigan.