Badgers Secure Second in Big Ten
November 23, 2005 | Volleyball
The 14th-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team guaranteed the runner-up spot in the Big Ten Conference with a 30-22, 30-28, 30-15 win at Northwestern. The Badgers improve to 22-6 overall and 14-5 in conference play with only one match remaining. Wisconsin ended Northwestern's (18-11, 9-10) six-match winning streak.
'It was important to us to take care of business in these last three matches, we're really proud about that,' said head coach Pete Waite. 'We were able to come into Northwestern and beat a team that has been very hot in the second half of the Big Ten season and were able to get out of here with a win in three (games).'
Sophomore Taylor Reineke had a career night, recording the second best hitting percentage ever for a three-game match. The 6-3 middle blocker had 11 kills on 13 attempts with no errors for a phenomenal .846 attack percentage. She also led the team with eight blocks.
Reineke led the UW team to a .271 hitting percentage as the Badgers pounded down 47 kills. She was the only Wisconsin player in double-digits with both Aubrey Meierotto and Maria Carlini adding nine kills.
'She's a kid that doesn't always get the big press but she's such a hard worker and she's so aggressive at the net that which makes her better at her blocking and her hitting,' said Waite. 'She's just really doing an awesome job.'
Northwestern hit just .048 as a team, putting down 33 kills with no players recording double figures.
The Wildcats had trouble hitting past the Badger block that put up 12 team blocks. Wisconsin also played stopped Northwestern with some strong backcourt play, outdigging the Wildcats 39-24. Jocelyn Wack upped her streak of double-figure dig matches to 59 with a match-high 15 digs. Wack moves into sole possession of second place on the NCAA record lists with her streak. Carlini added 10 digs to the Badger defense.
The UW also had a strong night at the serving line, recording four aces and only seven errors. The Wildcats aced the Badgers only once while recording eight service errors.
Led by four kills, a perfect hitting percentage and four blocks from Reineke, the Badgers took the first game. The Wildcats led by two points early in the game including at 8-6, before Wisconsin went on a 6-0 run to go up 12-8. Two kills from Meierotto keyed the go-ahead streak. Northwestern would cut the lead to two points several times, including at 17-15, but would get no closer. The Badgers hit .273 and put down 16 kills in the game compared to .054 and 11 kills for the Wildcats.
Wisconsin came back from a three-point deficit late in game two, rallying to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room. With the Wildcats up 27-24, the Badgers went on a 4-1 run to tie the game at 28-28. Two straight kills from Reineke, who led the UW with five kills in the game, put the game away. The Badgers outblocked the Wildcats 4-2 in the period, including two from Meierotto and Shaw.
'The play wasn't really close in the first and the third (games),' Waite said. 'In the second game, we made some mistakes then Northwestern woke up and we had to fight behind to win 30-28. It was a great comeback and we showed a lot of character.'
The UW dominated the third game, jumping out to a 15-7 lead and never letting NU in the game. Wisconsin had its best hitting game of the match, connecting on .308 of its attacks while holding Northwestern to a negative .194. The Badgers totaled four blocks in the period, including three more from Reineke.
Wisconsin wraps up the regular season at last-place Indiana on Saturday. First serve is at 7 p.m. ET in the University Gym in Bloomington, Ind.
The Badgers learn their tournament fate on Sunday when seedings and pairings for the 64-team NCAA Volleyball Championship are announced at 1:30 p.m. on ESPNews.
