Badger Volleyball Heats Up to Cool Off Hoosiers
November 03, 2001 | Volleyball
The seventh-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team hammered the Indiana Hoosiers 30-26, 30-12, 30-21 Saturday night at the UW Field House. The Badgers (19-3, 13-1) dominated the match statistically, edging the Hoosiers (7-15, 4-10) in every major category to complete a weekend sweep.
'I thought it was a really good weekend for us to come back home and get us ready for our next weekend on the road,' Wisconsin Head Coach Pete Waite said. 'Since all these [matches] mean so much, that we've hit some of the top teams in the Big Ten and now we got to take care of everybody else along the way and take care of business.'
The Wisconsin attack was led by Sherisa Livingston and Erin Byrd with 13 kills apiece. Livingston led all hitters at .500 percent, while Byrd hit .375 on the night and added a match-high three service aces and also chipped in with nine digs. As a team the Badgers hit .342 percent and held the Hoosiers to .142 percent, keeping the visitors off-balance with a big block and tough serving.
'I think we started serving really tough and they just starting really struggling with their ball control,' Waite said. 'Once they got out of whack there, they really had trouble doing anything with confidence and I think our team just got more hungry as that started happening.'
Setter Lizzy Fitzgerald dropped a pair of aces on the Hoosiers and paced the offense with 45 assists and added a match-high 10 digs. Amy Hultgen contributed a season-high 10 kills and led the defense with five blocks, while Jill Odenthal added a career-high four blocks and aided the attack with nine kills.
Livingston and Odenthal got the Badgers off to a quick start in Game 1, each putting down a pair of early kills to help Wisconsin grab a 12-6 lead and force an Indiana timeout. The Hoosiers would trim the lead to one (23-22), but Odenthal's seventh kill of the game ignited a 5-1 run to put the game out of reach.
Wisconsin dominated Game 2, by allowing only 12 points. Livingston was perfect with six kills in six attempts to lead the charge as the Badgers hit .406 percent for the game. Wisconsin also got hot from the service line, pounding six aces at Indiana and holding the Hoosiers a .063 hitting percentage.
After battling to a tie at 11 in Game 3, Byrd keyed another Badger rally with three kills to put Wisconsin up 17-12. The Badgers extended their lead to seven at 24-17 as Marian Weidner beat the Hoosier block for her third kill of the night. Fitzgerald later found Livingston open in the middle to put Wisconsin up 27-19 as the Badgers cruised to victory in front of 3,878 fans.
'Obviously, our goal is a Big Ten Championship and I think we're taking one step closer every night,' Waite said. 'Odenthal did well again tonight. Marian Wiedner was able to get in toward the end and that says a lot for our team also, maintaining our level of play when we're making a few switches in there.'
Wisconsin hits the road next weekend to face Michigan on Friday night and Michigan State Saturday night.
