(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON –
The No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball team closed out the weekend with a four-set victory over the Michigan Wolverines (20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22) on Sunday afternoon at the Field House.
The Badgers (14-6, 8-2) put together one of their strongest hitting performances this season against the Wolverines (13-8, 4-6). Wisconsin combined for a .402 swing percentage (60 – 13 – 117) marking the team’s highest cliip of the season.
Freshman Decelise Champion put together another quality showing on the offensive end, finishing with 20 kills. Her performance marks the second match in a row that the opposite has reached the 20-kill mark. Freshman Audrey Flanagan added 11 kills of her own, as senior Eva Travis added 10 on a .500 hitting percentage.
Michigan used a pair of early 4-0 runs to take a narrow 15-12 lead heading into the media timeout in the first set. Both teams held a strong presence at the net in that frame, posting above .400 hitting percentages.
The Wolverines kept firing at the net down the stretch, using a .519 hitting percentage to grab set one, 25-20.
Michigan combined for a 7-1 run down the stretch in the second frame, but Wisconsin quickly charged back claiming six-straight points to force a Michigan timeout. Travis tallied three consecutive kills in the set to power the Badgers to a 20-18 lead, before turning in another back-to-back kill performance. Champion chipped in the final kill for a Badger set two victory, winning 25-20 respectively.
Champion continued her success in the third set, turning in five kills heading into the technical timeout to put Wisconsin at a 15-11 advantage. The opposite finished with six kills in the third, as Flanagan chipped in five of her own.
Wisconsin used a 7-1 run capped off by a roll shot from Flanagan to close out the set, 25-18, for the Badgers — helping them to a 2-1 advantage heading into the fourth and final frame. Wisconsin put together a .448 hitting percentage in the third set, holding Michigan to a .182 performance.
From there, the Badgers cruised to the match win after sealing the fourth set, 25-21, behind quality hitting and a strong presence at the net. UW would finish the match with 10.5 blocks.
With the win, the Badgers sit at 8-2 in conference play and boast an 8-1 record when playing at the Field House.
Notes:
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Wisconsin extends its 87-match win streak against unranked opponents to 88-straight after the win 3-1 win over Michigan.
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Wisconsin hit .402 (60-13-117) marking the first time this season where the Badgers hit .400 or better as a team.
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The Badgers improve to 67-20 all-time, 38-5 when playing in Madison, and 11-straight victories with the win over the Wolverines.
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For the seventh match this season, right side Decelise Champion tallied double-figure kills with a 20 (20-6-41) kill performance against Michigan.
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UW totaled three players with 10 or more kills; Champion (20), Audrey Flanagan (11) and Eva Travis (10).
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Middle blocker Jaela Auguste hit .400 or better for the ninth time this season. Auguste totaled nine kills on 14 attempts (9-2-14) for a .500 hitting clip against the Wolverines.
Up Next: Wisconsin heads out West to take on USC and UCLA in Los Angeles beginning Friday, Oct. 30. First serve is slated for 9 p.m. with the match airing on B1G+
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