No. 5 Wisconsin handed No. 1 Nebraska its first loss of the season in women’s college volleyball Friday, winning 25-22, 28-26, 25-16 at UW Field House. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Cornhuskers entered the match with a 27-0 record and hadn’t been down two sets until Friday.
- Badgers junior Anna Smrek and senior Sarah Franklin were the top playmakers, combining for 34 kills en route to victory.
- Entering the match, Wisconsin’s aces per set season average was 1.6, but Nebraska held it to five aces total.
- The Badgers improve to 25-3, while the Cornhuskers fall to 27-1.
How did Wisconsin exact its revenge?
The Badgers were the better team when things got janky and it required converting out-of-system — those situations in which the serve receive or pass isn’t good enough to give the setter all three of her primary attacking options. At minimum, Wisconsin’s confidence shone through in these moments, with coach Kelly Sheffield lauding his group’s “courageous” swings in a postgame interview with the Big Ten Network.
Outside hitter Franklin was more or less indomitable all match, notching 16 kills and hitting .424 on the afternoon. No real shock there for a potential Big Ten Player of the Year winner. But when middle/right side hitter Smrek (team-high 18 kills)…
