(UW ATHLETICS) LINCOLN, NEB – The No. 7 Wisconsin volleyball team fell to the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers in three sets (23-25, 14-25, 20-25) on Saturday night, handing the Badgers their first conference loss of the season.
Freshman Decelise Champion led Wisconsin (11-5, 4-1) with 12 kills, marking her fifth double-figure kill total this season. Junior Charlie Fuerbringer added 27 assists, seven digs and five kills of her own.
The match opened in back-and-forth fashion, with neither team able to build separation. Nebraska (17-0, 5-0) found its rhythm with a 3-0 run, but the Badgers held close with a pair of kills from Flanagan to chase the Cornhuskers 15-13 into the media timeout.
Wisconsin then built a 5-1 run thanks to a kill from Flanagan and Badger block to grab a narrow 18-17 lead heading down the stretch, but Nebraska provided a 5-1 response of its own. A 3-0 run from the Badgers brought the match within one at 23-24, but Nebraska was able to finish it off and take a 1-0 lead into the second set.
The second set opened in similar fashion before the Cornhuskers claimed five straight rallies to take a 16-10 lead. From there, they put together two separate 5-0 runs to pull away from the Badgers — taking a 2-0 lead with a 25-14 set victory.
Both teams traded points through the third set, but Nebraska claimed the last three rallies to complete the sweep over the Badgers, extending its unbeaten streak to 17.
The Cornhuskers’ physicality up front forced the Badgers into a .171 hitting percentage (36 – 18 – 105) compared to Nebraska’s .396 performance (50 – 12 – 96). Nebraska out blocked Wisconsin, posting nine compared to the Badgers’ two.
Notes:
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With the loss, Wisconsin falls to 13-25-1 all-time against Nebraska in program history. Nebraska has now won five in a row over the Badgers.
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Wisconsin hit under .200 for the first time since September 13 at Texas. The team hit .171 (50-12-96).
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Freshman Decelise Champion led the team with 12 kills on 29 attempts. This marks her fifth match with double-figure kills.
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Nebraska hit .396 as a team, the highest hitting percentage Wisconsin has allowed all season.
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The Badgers move to 4-17 all-time when facing the No. 1 ranked team.
Up Next: Wisconsin returns home to the UW Field House to take on Maryland on Thursday, Oct. 16
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